How a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Protects the Constitution | Sami Azhari | #45

Constitution
How a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Protects the Constitution

The law only works for you if it works for everyone. On this episode of the Inside BS Show, Dave Lorenzo interviews Sami Azhari, a criminal defense attorney who handles white collar and federal cases. We all enjoy freedom under the law because of the service Sami provides.

Tune in to today's show to discover to get an inside look at how the criminal defense process works, how Sami attracts clients, and many nuances that make his job different from what you see on television.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:40 How did Sami Azhari Become a Federal Criminal Defense Attorney?
02:53 How did Sami Get Experience Trying Over 100 Cases?
05:00 Sami Describes his Experience in Starting to Represent People Accused of Crime
06:15 Who Ends Up in Sami's Office with a Criminal Matter?
08:00 Why You Should Never Shop for a Bargain in Criminal Defense
11:18 What is the Difference Between Being Charged in Federal Court and Being Charged in State Court?
13:15 When is the Best Time to Call a Criminal Defense Attorney?
14:45 Do I Talk to the FBI if They Say They Are Not Investigating Me?
15:44 Why Should We Not Talk to Law Enforcement without an Attorney?
17:00 Why Should You Tell Your Attorney The Whole Truth?
18:25 Does the Government Plant or Manufacture Evidence Frequently?
19:45 How Thorough is a Federal Prosecutor Before Charging a Case?
24:20 What is Sami's Approach to Business Development?
26:30 How Does Sami Leverage his Membership in ProVisors Networking Groups?
31:55 Why Does Sami Connect with other Criminal Defense Attorneys?
33:30 How Being Nice is a Competitive Advantage
35:50 The Question Dave Hates to Ask
36:50 How Much Flexibility Does a Judge Have at Sentencing?
40:10 How Hard is it to Convince a Client to Show Contrition?
41:40 How Hard is it When You Know the Client is NOT Guilty?


Sami Azhari
Federal Criminal Defense Attorney
(312) 626-2871
sazhari@azharillc.com
https://www.federalcriminallawyer.us/

About Sami Azhari
Sami is an attorney and principal of Azhari LLC, with over 14 years of experience as a trial lawyer. He has tried over 100 jury and bench trials. His practice focuses on federal and white collar criminal defense, where he has defended attorneys, traders, and corporate executives on a litany of federal crimes including wire fraud, bank fraud, racketeering (RICO), and conspiracy charges. His clients also include physicians, business owners, professional athletes, and board members.
He handles all aspects of federal criminal prosecutions, representing witnesses, targets, and defendants from the investigative phase through trial, and if necessary, sentencing and appeals. He has dealt with every investigative agency including FBI, ATF, DEA, IRS, Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service.

He has been consistently recognized in numerous publications, such as Super Lawyers Magazine as being one of the most highly skilled and highly regarded criminal lawyers. He achieved the Illinois Rising Star award for 8 consecutive years, an honor given to the top 2.5% of attorneys in the state.

He also handles criminal fraud charges that revolve around the Paycheck Protection Program that was rolled out after the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. He recently received a federal jury acquittal on behalf of his client, a foreign national from Mauritania that was facing federal criminal charges in the Northern District of Illinois. The case went to a jury trial where he was found not guilty of all charges.
He has been published numerous times in publications on issues of white collar criminal defense, jury deliberations, and other matters. Recently, The Champion, the nationwide journal for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers published his article, Guilty Until Proven Guilty: The Prosecution of Public Corruption and White Collar Crime.
@ Copyright 2025 Exit Success Lab, LLC