Proving Federal Crimes

Chapter 1                  Structuring the Investigation                 

1.01    Overview

1.02    Analyzing the initial complaint

1.03    Authority of agent to act

1.04    Preliminary inquiries

1.05    Legality of investigative techniques

1.06    Aiding and Abetting

1.07    Conspiracy

1.08    Crime scene

1.09    Evidence response teams

1.10    Financial investigations

1.11    FinCEN

1.12    Tax records

1.13    Asset forfeiture

1.14    Pre-seizure planning

1.15    Digital evidence

1.16    Cellular phones

1.17    Tracing e-mail

1.18    Smart cards

1.19    DNA

1.20    Mail covers

1.21    Parallel proceedings

1.22    Report writing and maintaining notes

1.23    Witness interviews and interrogations

1.24    Responsibilities toward victims and witnesses

1.25    Child witnesses and victims

1.26    Material witnesses

1.27    The use of pseudonyms by witnesses

1.28    Law of arrest

1.29    Lineups and showups

1.30    Power to order lineup

1.31    Lineup -- self-incrimination

1.32    Lineup -- search and seizure

1.33    Admissibility of lineup and showup

1.34    Physical evidence

1.35    Gunshot residue evidence

1.36    Trace evidence -- hairs/fibers -- crime scene

1.37    Surgical instructions and blood samples

1.38    fingerprinting

1.39    Handwriting exemplars

1.40    Voice exemplars

1.41    Spectrographs -- voice print

1.42    Polygraphs

1.43    Hypnosis

1.44    Hypnosis of a defendant

1.45    Disclosure of the use of hypnosis

1.46    Hypnosis – factors to consider

1.47    Computer animations

1.48    Subpoenas to attorneys

1.49    Identity theft

1.50    The USA Patriot Act

1.51    National security

1.52    Classified information

1.53    Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

Chapter 2                  Search Warrants

2.01    Use of search warrants

2.02         Probable cause for search warrant

2.03         Timeliness of information

2.04         Probable cause establish by hearsay

2.05         False statement in affidavit

2.06         Particularity of a description

2.07         Time of warrant

2.08         Who may execute warrant

2.09         Knock and announce

2.10         Plain view and other seizure rules

2.11         Good Faith

2.12         Anticipatory warrants

2.13         Sneak and peek warrants – USA Patriot Act § 213

2.14         Body Instructions

2.15         Computers

2.16         Administrative search warrants

2.17         Execution and return with inventory

2.18         Return of seized property

2.19         Search warrant return form

2.20         Constructing affidavit – sample language

2.21         Affidavit – documents

2.22         Affidavit – identification documents

2.23         Search warrant form

Chapter 3                  Warrantless Searches

3.01         Warrantless searches

3.02         Non searches

3.03         Consent searches

3.04         Border and customs searches

3.05         Sea searches

3.06         Expectation of privacy/standing

3.07         Search incident to valid arrest

3.08         Validity of the arrest

3.09         When a person is under arrest

3.10         Search must be contemporaneous with arrest

3.11         Scope of Warrantless searches incident to arrest

3.12         Seizures without probable cause

3.13         Stop and frisk

3.14         Detention of occupants during search

3.15         Exigent circumstances

3.16         Emergencies

3.17         Destruction, removal or escape

3.18         Hot pursuit

3.19         Vehicle searches

3.20         Inventory searches of vehicles

3.21         Evidence in plain view

3.22         Prison searches

3.23         Administrative searches

3.24         The exclusionary rule

3.25         Fruit of Poisonous Tree

3.26         Inevitable discovery

3.27         Independent source

3.28         Attenuation

3.29         Other rules affecting admissibility

3.30         Motions to suppress

3.31         Hearing issues

3.32         Appeals

Chapter 4                  Electronic Surveillance

4.01         Overview

4.02         History of legislation

4.03         Patriot Act amendments

4.04         The authorization request

4.05         Roving interception

4.06         Emergency interception

4.07         Video surveillance -- approval required

4.08         Use of Title III affidavits

4.09         Consensual monitoring

4.10         Consensual monitoring – DOJ procedures

4.11         Overhears – discovery

4.12         Overhears – attorneys

4.13         Title III applications

4.14         Title III affidavits

4.15         Title III orders

4.16         Managing the wiretap

4.17         Post-interception requirements

4.18         Wiretap checklist

4.19         Investigative techniques complementing a wiretap

4.20         Non-disclosure of investigative techniques

4.21         Suppression of Title III evidence

4.22         Other electronic evidence

4.23         Video surveillance

4.24         The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

4.25         The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA)

Chapter 5                  International Issues

5.01         Overview

5.02         Diplomatic Immunity

5.03         International legal assistance

5.04         Obtaining evidence abroad

5.05         Statute of limitations and the Speedy Trial Act

5.06         Cost and methods of obtaining evidence

5.07         Letters rogatory

5.08         Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATS)

5.09         Executive agreement

5.10         Informal methods

5.11         The FBI’s Legal Attache program

5.12         Subpoenas

5.13         Forfeiture of foreign assets

5.14         Drafting requests for assistance

5.15         Translations

5.16         Documentary evidence

5.17         Depositions

5.18         Arrest of foreign nationals

5.19         Arrest of foreign territories

Chapter 6                  Fugitives

6.01         Overview

6.02         Preventing fugitivity

6.03         Locating fugitives

6.04         OIA’S fugitive unite

6.05         Fugitive Felon Act (UFAP)

6.06         Interpol

6.07         Fugitive diffusion form

6.08         Form – agreement to extradite

6.09         Foreign extradition

6.10         Procedures for extradition

6.11         Provisional arrest

6.12         Extradition procedure in the foreign country

6.13         Return of the fugitive

6.14         Alternatives to extradition

6.15         U.S. extraditions to foreign nations

6.16         Interstate extradition and the agreement of Detainers

6.17         Transfer to other federal district

Chapter 7                  Admissions and Confessions

7.01         Overview

7.02         Jackson v. Denno hearings

7.03         Foundation questions

7.04         Voluntariness

7.05         Tricks and deceit

7.06         Threats and promises

7.07         Custody definition

7.08         Custody – place of detention

7.09         Interrogation defined

7.10         Routine booking questions and pre-sentence reports

7.11         Public safety

7.12         Private citizens

7.13         The Miranda warnings -- generally

7.14         Miranda warnings -- asking if the suspect understands the rights

7.15         Miranda warnings -- requesting an explicit waiver

7.16         Waiving Miranda Rights -- generally

7.17         Intelligent waiver

7.18         Voluntary waiver

7.19         Assertion of right to remain silent

7.20         Assertion of right to counsel

7.21         Ambiguous and unambiguous invocations-- Davis and Smith

7.22         Break in custody

7.23         Anticipatory invocations

7.24         Initiation

7.25         The Sixth Amendment right  to counsel

7.26         Sixth Amendment waiver

7.27         Asking for an attorney at arraignment

7.28         Ethical considerations

7.29         Impeachment

7.30         Fruit of illegal searches and seizures

7.31         Illegal detention

7.32         Fruit of an involuntary confession

7.33         Fruit of a Miranda violation -- Elstad

7.34         Miranda and psychiatrists

7.35         Co-defendant confessions the Bruton rule

7.36         Grand jury target warnings

7.37         Sample target letter

7.38         Sample proffer letter

7.39         Model interrogations and confessions policy

7.40         Foreign prosecutions

Chapter 8                  Self-incrimination and Immunity

8.01         Overview

8.02         Self-incrimination at trial

8.03         Grounds for invoking privilege

8.04         Waiver of privilege by witness

8.05         Waiver of privilege by testifying defendant

8.06         Requiring defendant to give non-testimonial evidence

8.07         Invocation by prosecution witness

8.08         Calling witness who will claim privilege

8.09         The privilege after a guilty plea

8.10         Informal/formal immunity distinguished

8.11         Derivative use immunity

8.12         Statutory authority to compel testimony

8.13         Approval and authorization for formal immunity

8.14         Authorization procedure for immunity requests

8.15         Decision to request immunity -- the public interest

8.16         Decision to request immunity -- close-family exception

8.17         Decision to request immunity -- conviction prior to compulsion

8.18         Granting immunity on behalf of a defendant

8.19         Obtaining the court order

8.20         Immunity for the act of production

8.21         Authorization to prosecute after compulsion

8.22         Use of immunized testimony by sentencing court

8.23         Steps to avoid taint

8.24         Civil contempt

8.25         Criminal contempt

Chapter 9                  Informants

9.01         Overview

9.02         DOJ informant guidelines

9.03         Prosecution strategies

9.04         Defense strategies

9.05         Jury instructions

9.06         Cooperation agreements

Chapter 10               Corporations

10.01    Overview

10.02    Corporate criminal liability

10.03    Corporate privilege issues

10.04    Contacts with represented parties

10.05    Indictment

10.06    Charging corporations -- generally

10.07    Charging corporations -- factors

10.08    Special policy concerns

10.09    Pervasiveness of wrongdoing

10.10    Corporate past history

10.11    Cooperation and voluntary disclosure

10.12    Corporate compliance programs

10.13    Restitution and remediation

10.14    Collateral consequences

10.15    Non-criminal alternatives

10.16    Selecting charges

10.17    Plea agreements with corporations

10.18    Taking corporate guilty pleas

10.19    Sarbanes-Oxley

10.20    Federal securities laws

10.21    Corporate bookkeeping practices

10.22    Jury instructions: Corporate responsibility

10.23    Jury instructions: personal responsibility of corporate agent

10.24    Sentencing

10.25    Market capitalization as the measure of loss

10.26    Professional responsibility issues in corporate fraud matters

Chapter 11               Prosecution of Juveniles

11.01    Overview

11.02    Disposition

11.03    Certification

11.04    Certification -- form

11.05    Filing of the complaint

11.06    Motion to transfer

11.07    Arrest of a juvenile

11.08    Interrogation and presentment

11.09    Detention of juveniles

11.10    Parental notification

11.11    Photos and fingerprints

11.12    Publicity

11.13    Prosecutorial discretion

11.14    Child witnesses and victims

11.15    Sample juvenile information

Chapter 12               Grand Jury

12.01    Overview

12.02    Functions, powers and limitations

12.03    Power of grand jury limited

12.04    Venue limitations

12.05    Limitation on naming unindicted co-conspirators

12.06    Limitations of subpoenas

12.07    Fair credit reporting act and grand jury subpoenas

12.08    Subpoenas for financial records

12.09    Subpoenaing targets

12.10    Advice of “rights” to grand jury witnesses

12.11    Request by subjects and targets to testify

12.12    Notification of targets

12.13    Advance assertion of an intention to claim the Fifth Amendment privilege

12.14    Notification to targets when target status end

12.15    Limitation on resubpoenaing contumacious witnesses

12.16    Illegally obtained evidence

12.17    Hearsay

12.18    Exculpatory evidence

12.19    Authorized attorneys

12.20    Presence of an interpreter

12.21    Grand jury secrecy

12.22    Disclosure to DOJ attorneys

12.23    Guidelines for handling grand jury documents

12.24    Subpoenas to lawyers and the news media

12.25    The special grand jury – 18 U.S.C. § 3331

12.26    Intelligence gathering and the grand jury

Chapter 13               Ethical Issues

13.01    Overview

13.02    The role of the federal prosecutor

13.03    The charging decision

13.04    Selective prosecution

13.05    Vindictive prosecution