Facing a serious fraud, embezzlement or other white collar crime charge can be scary enough without added challenge of out-of-state laws. Out-of-state criminal charges can lead to new hoops you may have to jump through as a suspect.
If a state other than your home state presses charges against you for an alleged white collar crime, you may need professional legal assistance to help you get through the process ahead.
You must deal with the charges
Do not assume because you live in a different state you have the legal right to ignore the charges a state has pressed against you. This is not the case. Any state will have jurisdiction over a crime you allegedly committed within that state. Jurisdiction refers to an entity’s power to prosecute. This means the charges you face from another state are valid. Rather than hoping the charges will go away, deal with them with help from an attorney.
You may have to travel to the state
It is possible that you will need to appear before a judge in the prosecuting state for court hearings. This is likely in high-value white collar criminal cases, as these are often more serious crimes that require the defendant to appear in person. If you are facing a more minor charge, however, your attorney may be able to appear on your behalf to save you trips from your home state.
The other state may have a warrant for your arrest
If the state prosecutor decides to file official charges, he or she may have the right to extradite you from Pennsylvania or extract you to face your charges. The other state may also take you into custody and hold you there until the resolution of your case. It is important to hire an attorney from the state where you are facing charges, as he or she will have a license to practice in that state.