How to Respond to a Grand Jury Subpoena?

A subpoena refers to a legal order that compels a person to testify or produce necessary documents in a legal proceeding. A grand jury subpoena is different. It is issued by state or federal level grand juries that are looking into a criminal investigation.

So, if you receive e grand jury subpoena, understand that the district attorney, the federal prosecutor, and the attorney general of the state are all suspecting you to be either the accused or the witness of a crime. Hence, this is something that you don’t take lightly! Also, it is best to hire a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer if you’ve received a grand jury subpoena. Depending on the circumstances, their first step would be to have the subpoena vacated. If that measure fails, their focus shifts to thorough witness preparation and safeguarding your rights during testimony.

That being said, let’s explore this blog and find out the correct way to address and respond to a grand jury subpoena.

Is a Testification Mandatory After Receiving the Subpoena?

If you do have a legitimate reason for not complying with the subpoena, our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers can try to dismiss it, so that you don’t need to testify. This might lead to a hearing on technical or legal grounds that could easily defeat the subpoena.

Some of the reasons for dismissal may include-

• The documents are confidential under the law and therefore are protected.
• The subpoena itself is vague.
• The moment you testify, it may violate your privileges against testifying.
• The court appearance might be an undue burden on you.

Now, the attorney general’s office might respond to your lawyer’s motion to quash with a motion to compel. They might also argue that the documents are not actually confidential, which might make the judge force you to either testify or release the documents.

Does This End in an Arrest?

If you have been rightfully served with a grand jury subpoena, you have to appear in court! And if the judge supervising the grand jury committee finds out that your absence was intentional, they might hold you in contempt of court!

And if you’re found to fail to appear in contempt as well, you could end up behind bars!

That being said, you can definitely use your Fifth Amendment rights to make sure that you don’t enter the ‘self-incriminating’ mode!

Now, if the judge, after checking all the evidence, finds that your cause is illegitimate, you might be held in contempt. Added to that, a district attorney can grant you immunity. If this happens, you cannot be prosecuted based on what statements you give.

However, this immunity has certain limitations. You remain vulnerable to arrest later on if investigators gather sufficient evidence that is independent of your testimony. Apart from that, deliberately making false statements under oath to the grand jury is a serious crime that can result in perjury charges. And it is for these reasons that consulting a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer remains non-negotiable.

Wrapping Up

We at the Logue Law Group have years of experience dealing with state and federal jurisdictions. Our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers, therefore, know how to address your situation.

So, if you received a grand jury subpoena, the first thing you need to do is protect yourself. And the best way to do that is to hire our expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyers, who can help you to either quash it or strategize a legal immunity if you are required to testify. Call us at 844.PITT.DUI or send an email to sean@seanloguelaw.com to book an appointment today!