Federal Cases

A Premier Criminal Defense Lawyer Defending Individuals and Businesses Accused of Serious Crimes in Denver and Throughout Colorado and in Federal Court Across the United States.

H. Michael Steinberg has appeared on national television and radio programs as an expert on criminal law related issues and has been quoted in newspapers and other news outlets throughout the country.

H. Michael Steinberg is a former senior career trial prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney. He began his legal career in 1981 as early as a second year law student intern prosecutor and after over 16 years as a criminal prosecutor he has built a practice devoted exclusively to criminal defense work.

The Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm has worked hard to create, and maintain, a reputation for professional excellence through its successful criminal defense of individuals and businesses accused of committing serious crimes in all courts throughout Colorado.

As a criminal defense law firm, the Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm understands the value of pre-trial investigation, pre-trial motions practice, and criminal defense trial preparation. He has qualified legal investigators and a paralegal under his direction and supervision to bring together the most comprehensive, detailed and competent research possible.

The Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm offers clients the individual attention and personal touch of a high end boutique criminal defense firm along with significant contacts throughout the state to assemble a serious criminal defense team that any government prosecutor would find formidable.

The Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm takes nothing for granted. Every possible detail is investigated, legally researched, and analyzed by Mr. Steinberg and his staff before a specific criminal defense trial strategy is developed for the particular needs of the criminal case.

Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm believes that criminal defense attorneys are the cornerstone of the legal profession. Individuals and businesses accused of criminal wrongdoing have their very lives, businesses, and families at stake and deserve the best possible criminal defense. A false allegation, mistaken identification, botched or fabricated forensic analysis, or prosecutorial misconduct involving the use of perjured testimony or the suppression of favorable or mitigating evidence can very easily lead to innocent individuals and businesses being wrongfully convicted.

Scores of DNA exonerations across the country exemplify this tragic reality. As a criminal defense attorney, H. Michael Steinberg is a criminal defense lawyer committed to making sure that this tragedy is not inflicted upon his clients.

State and Federal prosecutors have unlimited prosecutorial resources at their disposal. This is particularly true in the federal courts in Denver, Colorado. Federal criminal defense attorneys in Denver, Colorado must be prepared to devote their best skills, ingenuity, experience and cutting edge technology to achieve the same level of resources toward the defense of their clients.

H. Michael Steinberg is a Denver federal criminal attorney prepared to put forth whatever legal resources are necessary to bring about a favorable outcome for his clients. He is a Denver federal criminal lawyer who understands the awesome powers of the federal government when it targets individuals and businesses for prosecution and he is prepared to defend his clients against such force.

The Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm proudly represents clients charged with serious criminal offenses before Texas and Federal courts

The federal criminal system is in many ways like the state system, but it has some very significant differences. One difference is that the typical United States Attorney’s office, responsible for prosecuting federal criminal charges, has significantly more time and resources to direct to any given prosecution than would a state prosecutor.

Federal prosecutors also typically have better academic credentials than state prosecutors, and many have a great deal of latitude in selecting the cases they wish to prosecute through the federal courts. Save for crimes which occur on federal land, those cases which fall exclusively to the jurisdiction of a federal prosecutor tend to be of an interstate nature, and are more likely than a state prosecution to be legally and factually complex.

As a result, federal criminal defense tends to involve cases which are more difficult to defend, and the cost of defense is often very high. In each federal jurisdiction there is also a Federal Defender’s office, which can provide legal representation to indigent defendants.

If you are contacted by the federal authorities in relation to a criminal investigation, the first thing you must attempt to determine is if you are being contacted as a potential witness or as a suspect. The second thing you must determine is what statements you can safely make to the authorities without potentially falling into a trap, such as being charged with lying to federal agents. Consider for example the case of Martha Stewart, who was acquitted of any direct criminal wrongdoing but spent time in prison for making false statements to federal investigators.

A federal criminal defense lawyer can help you assess the nature and purpose of the investigation, and why you are being approached. While you should expect your lawyer to instruct you to provide honest answers to any questions from the federal authorities, your lawyer may be able to guide you around any potential traps or pitfalls. When appropriate, a federal criminal defense lawyer can be present during any questioning, act as an intermediary between you and the investigating authorities, or advise you to exercise your Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. If appropriate, a federal criminal defense lawyer may be able to work out a deal where you will cooperate with the investigation, in return for more favorable treatment when the investigation is concluded. In appropriate cases your lawyer may also be able to secure a letter of declination, in which the U.S. attorney formally declines to prosecute you in relation to a particular offense or investigation.

When a person receives a subpoena to testify before a grand jury, as with an investigation, it is not always apparent whether the person is being subpoenaed as a witness or as a potential target for indictment. As with an investigation, a federal criminal defense lawyer can help a grand jury witness determine the likely purpose of the subpoena, how to avoid potential traps and pitfalls when providing testimony, or when to “take the fifth”. The lawyer may also be able to work out a deal for immunity, or for use immunity (meaning that the testimony provided before the grand jury cannot be used to advance a criminal prosecution against the witness), in relation to the testimony.

It is helpful during federal criminal proceedings to be represented by a lawyer who is familiar with the federal rules of evidence, federal rules of criminal procedure, trial procedure, and the federal court system in general. The lawyer should also be familiar with federal sentencing procedures, and with the recent Supreme Court rulings which affect sentencing. It helps to have a defense lawyer who is familiar with the U.S. Attorney’s office which is handling the case, and ideally some familiarity with the federal investigative agency which spearheaded the investigation.

There is no such thing as a highly qualified federal criminal defense lawyer who dabbles in federal court matters. Lawyers either know federal criminal defense, or they don’t. If you are involved in the federal criminal system, make sure your lawyer, or at least one of the lawyers who will be serving on your defense team, has extensive experience with the defense of federal criminal charges. As previously noted, federal criminal defense tends to be very expensive. You will be paying for specialized experience – so make sure you get it.