The term “white collar crime” is used as a blanket term for a group of crimes that are nonviolent in nature and typically are motivated by the desire for monetary gain and involve deception of some sort. As you can imagine, this means that many disparate criminal offenses are gathered together under this umbrella term. The term may bring to mind images of glitz and glamor and overflowing wealth, but the truth is that many people accused of white collar crimes are average citizens who have found themselves in a bad spot. No matter what crime you have been accused of, you have the right to hire an attorney to defend you in court when the time comes. If you would like to speak to a white collar crime lawyer, the attorneys at Okabe and Haushalter can advocate for you in criminal court.
White collar crimes are distinguished from so-called blue collar crimes by their nonviolent nature and their tendency to involve deception. For example, while embezzlement is considered a white collar crime and involves a form of theft, shoplifting is far more overt and does not involve the same level of subterfuge that embezzlement does, although it, too, is considered a type of theft. Also, blue collar crimes include violent offenses such as homicide, assault and battery.
White collar crimes can take a variety of forms. Some examples are:
Some white collar crimes are considered relatively minor and may be prosecuted as misdemeanor offenses. Misdemeanors are typically penalized by one year in jail or less and fines tend to be relatively small. On the other side of the coin, some other white collar crimes may be charged as felonies, and felony offenses typically involve spending more than a year in a state penal facility and may involve thousands of dollars in fines if the party is convicted of the offense. Still other crimes may be federal offenses and could be prosecuted in a federal courtroom. No matter what type of white collar crime you stand accused of, our attorneys have the experience and knowledge to handle your case. We can tackle any case, no matter how big or small, and we are knowledgeable in both local and national laws.
If you have been accused of a white collar crime, we can be your legal advocates in court. Contact a white collar crime lawyer in Santa Clara at Okabe & Haushalter to discuss your case today. We have a reputation for mounting an aggressive defense for our clients, which has earned us renown for providing courtroom excellence. We will fight to get any stacked charges reduced to a single charge so that you spend less time behind bars and less money paying fines—we may even be able to get charges thrown out entirely. Call today for a free case assessment.
