You think the government is building a case against you. Maybe you got a target letter, an agent called your office, or a friend already got a subpoena. You are scared you will be arrested before anyone hears your side of the story. You aren’t sure if talking now or staying quiet will hurt you. At night, you lie awake thinking about how charges could affect your family, your job, and your reputation.
Those fears are exactly why people call us before they are ever charged with anything.
For more than 50 years, we have stepped into federal and state investigations early. Often, this happens before an arrest is ever made. We once convinced federal prosecutors not to indict a member of Congress. That case involved a Department of Justice grand jury looking into election law claims. No charges were ever filed against our client.
Contact us today. The earlier you call, the more options you may have.
Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A. carries an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given for both skill and ethics. Jeff has earned multiple awards for his work, including the prestigious Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). The Heeney Memorial Award is the NACDL’s highest honor and given annually to “the one criminal defense attorney who best exemplifies the goals and values of the Association and the legal profession.”
| Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer by National Board of Trial Advocacies | AVVO Rating 10.0 | Super Lawyers Every Year Since 2006 | Published Author and Teacher |
Our attorneys have tried cases in more than 25 states and argued before the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. Wherever your case stands right now, we've likely stood there before — with a client's freedom on the line.
Call Us Today 305-670-9919
The time before you are charged is often the most important time in your whole case. Once an arrest happens, or an indictment is filed, key decisions are already made. Evidence has already been gathered. A theory of what happened has already been built. Your side of the story may never have been heard.
What happens if you say nothing to an agent standing at your door? What happens if you answer questions without a lawyer next to you? Both choices carry real risk. Most people are never told which one protects them.
A target letter, a grand jury subpoena, or a visit from an FBI agent does not always end in an arrest. Often, the decision to charge you at all is still being made behind closed doors. That window can close fast. Once it closes, it does not open again.
Pre-charge representation covers every stage of a state or federal investigation before you are arrested or indicted. We step in the moment you learn you are being looked at, whether the case is being built by a state prosecutor or a federal one. This includes:
Whether the case against you is being built by a state prosecutor or a federal one, the right move made early can be the difference between a quiet resolution and a public arrest.
Not everyone contacted by federal agents faces the same level of risk. A witness is someone the government believes has information about someone else. A subject is someone whose conduct is being reviewed, but who has not been singled out yet. A target is someone prosecutors already believe committed a crime.
Agents do not always tell you which one you are. Your status can also change as an investigation moves forward. Knowing where you stand changes how we approach every conversation with the government on your behalf.
Every pre-charge case moves fast. The way we handle the first few days often shapes everything that comes after. Here is how we work:
Jeff Weiner is a former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. That national perspective on how prosecutors build cases, combined with his experience in many different types of criminal matters, shapes every step above.
This is what pre-charge representation is meant to do. It ends the exposure before it becomes a public case. Here are five real examples where our involvement meant no charges were ever filed.
| Outcome | Case Type | What Happened |
| No Indictment Returned | Federal Grand Jury Investigation, Election Law Allegations | Federal prosecutors were investigating a sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The DOJ grand jury investigation closed with no indictment. |
| No Charges Filed | Accidental Shooting Resulting in a Death, Federal Officer | A federal officer accidentally shot and killed a fellow officer. We stepped in before an arrest, and our client was never charged. |
| No Charges Filed | Accessory Allegation, First-Degree Murder Case | State prosecutors were prepared to charge our client as the main accomplice in a murder case. We convinced them to close it instead. |
| No Charges Filed | Alleged Sexual Battery Involving a Minor | Our client faced an allegation of nonconsensual contact with an underage schoolmate. We got involved early, and no charges were filed. |
| No Charges Filed | Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon, After Arrest, Before Arraignment | Our client, an attorney, was arrested and booked on this charge. Before his arraignment, we convinced the prosecutor to drop the case. |
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
If your case moves forward in federal court, it will likely be heard at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse. The address is 400 North Miami Avenue, in downtown Miami. This is the main courthouse for the Southern District of Florida. It is where the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes federal cases out of Miami-Dade County.
Most federal investigations that touch Miami are run out of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. That office is located in Miramar, not Miami. People are often surprised agents working a Miami case are not based downtown at all.
Our office sits at Two Datran Center, 9130 South Dadeland Boulevard, in the Kendall area of Miami-Dade County. It is a short drive from the federal courthouse downtown. We meet with clients here confidentially, often on short notice, when an investigation is moving quickly.
State felony and misdemeanor cases in Miami are handled at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, at 1351 NW 12th Street. This courthouse is part of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, and it is where Miami-Dade prosecutors bring most state criminal cases.
State investigations are often run by the Miami-Dade Police Department or another local agency, not the FBI. Charging decisions are made by the State Attorney’s Office for Miami-Dade County, which works out of the same courthouse complex.
Our office in Kendall is a short drive from this courthouse too, so we can meet with you quickly whether your case is being built by state or federal investigators.
You have a constitutional right to stay silent instead of answering an agent’s questions. This comes from the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section 9 of the Florida Constitution. It applies whether or not you have been arrested yet.
Federal and Florida grand jury proceedings are also required by law to stay secret. Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure keeps grand jury testimony and evidence confidential. That is one reason you may never be warned you are under investigation, until a subpoena, a target letter, or an agent shows up.
In plain terms, the law gives you the right to stay quiet, and it does not always give you a warning before an investigation reaches you. That combination is why waiting to speak with a lawyer until after you are charged can cost you options you still have right now.
This reflects federal law as of July 2026.
Serving Criminal Defense Clients for Over 50 Years
Yes. The time before charges are filed is often when the most important decisions in your case get made. Waiting until after an arrest can mean investigators have already built their case against you.
It means we step in while you are still under investigation, before any arrest or indictment happens. Our goal is to resolve the matter, reduce your exposure, or keep it from becoming a public criminal case.
A target letter tells you the government believes you committed a crime and may seek charges. Call a lawyer the same day you receive one. How you respond in the days after can shape what happens next.
Sometimes, yes. We have convinced prosecutors to close an investigation with no indictment at all. This includes a federal case involving a sitting member of Congress facing federal election law allegations.
A subpoena means you are being ordered to provide testimony or documents. How you respond can affect whether you remain a witness or become a target. Get legal advice before you respond to anything.
No. Prosecutors and federal agents expect people under investigation to have legal counsel. Staying quiet and getting advice early is common practice, not evidence of guilt.
A proffer session is a meeting where you share information with prosecutors, sometimes with limited protection from having it used against you later. We only recommend one after reviewing your full situation first.
Yes. International investigations move differently, and mistakes made early are hard to undo once another country or a treaty becomes involved. We have represented clients in cases spanning multiple countries, and the earlier we get involved, the more options you have.
If any of this sounds like your situation, the sooner you call, the more options you still have.
If you are facing criminal charges or under investigation in South Florida, do not wait. Call Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A. at (305) 670-9919 — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free initial consultations. All communications are confidential.
You may call our office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are always ready to consult with you, whether
by telephone consultation, a meeting in our office, or a visit if you are incarcerated. All communications
are confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege.
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