Orlando White Collar Crime Lawyer

Most white collar criminal cases have very specific elements which make these offenses difficult to prove in court. That’s especially true since the burden of proof, beyond any reasonable doubt, is so high in these cases.

Bribery is a good example. Typically, bribery is giving an office-holder or bureaucrat money, services, or something else of value in exchange for preferential treatment.Aggressive prosecutors often file these charges if there is any possible connection between a large political contribution and any serendipitous treatment.

But there must be more than a hope, expectation, or even understanding that, for example, Attorney General Ross will drop the case if Jana contributes to his campaign. If that was the standard, pretty much any contribution could be considered bribery. Instead, there must be a specific agreement between Ross and Jana.

Credit card fraud is another example. This offense is using a credit card without permission with the intent to deprive an entity or person of services or property.

Lack of permission is sometimes hard to prove. The typical situation is Jeff’s boss gives him a company credit card for certain purposes. But Jeff’s boss doesn’t clearly define the extent of the usage permission. Intent is often a problem as well. If Amy is drunk when she steals her roommate’s credit card and uses it, she cannot legally form the intent necessary to commit the crime. By the same token, if Amy uses her estranged husband’s credit card without permission because she’s angry at him, she arguably doesn’t have the requisite intent.