Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers

White Collar Criminal Law

The phrase “white collar criminal” was coined by Edwin Sutherland, a criminologist, more than 60 years ago. There has been much discussion of “white collar criminals” in the past decade, because of the many financial schemes that have been discovered and prosecuted.

There has been a long battle between the white and blue collar divisions in our society. Typically, white collar refers to the richer classes, and blue collar refers to the “working man” class. Although the justice system in America tries to be fair, equal, and blind to class, the fact that we still use these terms in reference to criminal cases shows that there continues to be a distinction.

While most criminal cases deal with crimes such as murder, rape, or armed robbery, white collar cases are usually very different, not only in the crime, but also the person being accused. White collar crimes could be anything from stockholder fraud to importation of prescription drugs from another country (like Canada). The people who fall into the “white collar” category are not only the very rich (like CEOs or CFOs), but often are middle class individuals, as well.

Usually, white collar criminals commit crimes that do not physically harm someone, and so their punishments reflect this. Judges usually seek shorter sentences in minimum security jails.

Speak with an Austin White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney

The Austin criminal defense lawyers can help you or your loved ones with criminal defense cases by offering legal advice or legal representation. Talk to Ian Inglis at 512-472-1950 or contact us through our website today for more information.