Hanover Bribery Lawyer
Being charged with bribery can come as a complete shock. Perhaps you had no intention of committing bribery, but by not following the proper procedures for certain types of exchanges you inadvertently committed bribery. Whatever the circumstances may be, a seasoned Hanover bribery lawyer could help you with your situation.
If you have been charged with bribery, attempting to handle the situation on your own can be challenging. A knowledgeable fraud attorney who is familiar with bribery laws could provide the legal knowledge and assistance you need to achieve an optimal outcome in your case. Additionally, a lawyer could also work to ensure your legal rights are not violated.
What Constitutes Bribery?
Bribery involves an attempt to influence some outcome by offering something of value to another individual in exchange for the desired outcome. Items of value could include such things as money, gifts, a job, a promotion, or a criminal charges being dropped. On the other side of the bribery offer, either soliciting or accepting a bribe are both also illegal and are considered bribery-related offenses.
Types of Bribery Offenses
The Code of Virginia categorizes the offense of bribery as a crime against the administration of justice and outlines several different types of bribery-related offenses. In each case, even just attempting to commit bribery is against the law and is a punishable offense. Some of the different bribery-related offenses include:
- Bribing jurors to influence their verdict
- Bribing witnesses to refrain from testifying in court or to give false testimony
- Bribing professional or amateur athletes to throw a game
- Bribing voters to vote a certain way during an election
- Bribing judges or law enforcement officers
- Bribing politicians or political candidates
- Soliciting or accepting bribes
A qualified Hanover bribery lawyer could answer questions and provide specific details about the many different types of bribery prohibited by law. An experienced criminal defense lawyer could also explain the nature of the specific bribery charges a person is facing and how the law applies to those charges.
Penalties for Bribery
The penalties for bribery in Hanover vary depending on the nature of the bribery charges. Bribing or attempting to bribe a judge, law enforcement officer, politician, or any candidate for office is a class four felony. The legal penalties for conviction of a class four felony are a prison sentence of two to ten years and a fine of up to $100,000.
Bribing or attempting to bribe witnesses to influence their testimony or prevent them from testifying is a class six felony, punishable by a prison term of one to five years and a fine of no more than $2,500. Bribing or attempting to bribe jurors, as well as jurors accepting bribes, are class for felonies, the legal penalties for which are the same as outlined above — a prison term of two to ten years and a fine.
Bribing voters to vote a certain way during an election and other related offenses, such as soliciting or accepting a voting-related bribe, are class one misdemeanors. The legal penalties for conviction of a class one misdemeanor include a jail term of up to 12 months and a fine of no more than $2,500.
Let a Hanover Bribery Attorney Assist
Handling bribery charges on your own is not necessarily in your best interest. Someone who is familiar with both the legal system and the laws on bribery, such as a Hanover bribery lawyer, could help you be better prepared to deal with bribery charges. Choosing to have a bribery lawyer represent you means there would be someone on your side advocating on your behalf.
An attorney who handles bribery cases could mount a plausible defense to the charges, safeguard your due process rights, and fight for the best legal outcome possible. Contact a Hanover bribery attorney for legal assistance today.
