ROCCO CIPPARONE RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS IN S.J. MAGAZINE LEGAL GUIDEIn the April 2009 issue of South Jersey Magazine (volume 6 issue 1), Rocco Cipparone
Jr. uses his expertise to respond to questions regarding the United States Department of Justice and FBI's recent focus
on mortgage fraud investigations and how subjects of those investigations should respond, as well as regarding the criteria
people should assess when hiring a criminal defense lawyer. For those interested, the specific questions and answers
are:
Question:
What is the emerging
trend in criminal investigations and how should involved persons respond?
Answer: The FBI has pending about 2,500 mortgage fraud and corporate fraud investigations.
Those under investigation often make serious mistakes when responding to news of an investigation, even creating criminal
liability (such as for obstruction of justice regarding records) when the person or entity otherwise was guilty of nothing.
Prompt consultation with experienced criminal defense counsel to determine the best – and lawful – way
to respond is crucial.
Question: What should someone consider in
hiring a criminal defense attorney? Answer: Some factors to consider are whether the attorney has handled a substantial
number of criminal trials and the complexity of the cases; whether the attorney is Board Certified by the New Jersey Supreme
Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney, of which there are only about 300 such attorneys state-wide; whether the attorney has
received positive peer recognition; and whether he/she has prior prosecutorial experience.
Sat, April 4, 2009 | link
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