Jury Trial Representation in Virginia Beach / Hampton Roads

Grand Juries

An important aspect of the criminal justice system is a grand jury proceeding. A grand jury is a group of individuals from the community who are sworn in for purposes of working with the state attorney or U.S. attorney to determine whether a crime should be indicted. Even if an individual was arrested, they may not be charged until a grand jury indicts them.

When dealing with a grand jury, it is important that you understand your rights and the grand jury process. Our experienced criminal defense lawyers at BREIT LAW PC, have handled grand jury proceedings from a variety of perspectives. We have represented clients in both state and federal grand jury proceedings.

When meeting with us, you can discuss your specific concerns as they relate to the grand jury and get knowledgeable guidance regarding the way in which you proceed. If a grand jury is investigating a case, and you, or someone you know, is subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury, it is imperative that you seek representation prior to appearing in order to protect your rights.

When subpoenaed for a grand jury proceeding, it is important to proceed with caution.

The grand jury may be looking at you in one of three ways:

Witness: The government usually does not intend to indict an individual that is subpoenaed as a witness in grand jury proceedings.

Subject: The status of this individual could go either way. They could end up as a witness or be charged with a crime.

Target: An individual who is considered the target of a grand jury proceeding is the suspect and alleged perpetrator of the crime in question.

If we are contacted before your grand jury appearance, our firm makes it a priority to determine your status. If you are being subpoenaed as a witness, then we will confidentially discuss with you areas of concern, to ensure that your status does not change. If you are being subpoenaed as a subject, we will determine areas of concern the government may have which could impact your status. In the event that you have potential criminal liability, we will attempt to negotiate immunity in return for your testimony. If you are being subpoenaed as a target we advise you to exercise your Constitutional right to silence so that you don’t inadvertently incriminate yourself with your testimony.

At BREIT LAW, we have helped our clients successfully navigate the grand jury process using proven methods to help our clients avoid serious consequences in the face of grand jury inquiries.

Trial Juries

Trial juries decide the facts of a case a formal trial, and usually consist of six to twelve people. If a juror is selected for trial, they will have to work every day of the trial, which could last a few days, several weeks, or even months.

Trial court procedure is very strict and controlled entirely by the judge. Each party in a trial typically has an attorney. Unlike a grand jury, a trial jury usually has no say in what evidence they get to see. Evidence in trials is carefully chosen by each party’s attorney and must adhere to a set of rules designed to ensure that the evidence is reliable. Trial juries rarely have the opportunity to ask questions.

A trial jury’s decision is final. Although a decision may be appealed, a trial jury’s determination of the facts will hold throughout the entire appeal process.

This is a more common, but very different type of jury trial when compared to a grand jury trial. As experienced, jury trial attorneys in the Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach area, we know what it takes to influence these jurors by stating the facts.