Lawyer at the Preliminary Investigation Stage

Lawyer Alexander Ovchynnykov represents clients before French courts of all types and at all levels (first instance, appeal, and cassation). Lawyer Ovchynnykov also provides legal services in certain categories of cases before courts in other European Union member states.

Cooperation with Alexander Ovchynnykov’s law office is formalized by a legal services agreement setting out the rights and obligations of the parties. The parties also agree on the amount of the lawyer’s fee. The legal services agreement is binding. After the agreement is signed, the client pays an advance on the fee and the lawyer begins performing the assigned work. The agreement may be signed remotely, with the parties exchanging scanned copies. The fee may be paid by bank transfer, through international payment systems such as Western Union, by bank cheque, or in cash. Payment by credit card is not possible.

French criminal procedure provides for various forms of criminal prosecution. In practice, the most common are:

• Immediate trial (comparution immédiate): the hearing takes place immediately after initial detention and shortly after the alleged offense. In such cases, the prosecutor considers that there is sufficient evidence of the suspect’s guilt and the trial may take place without any additional investigative measures. However, the defendant may request additional time to prepare the defense. In that case, the hearing will be adjourned to a new date, usually several weeks later. Immediate trials are regularly used for a number of offenses, including drug trafficking, money laundering, bodily injury, theft, and others.
• Trial scheduled for a specific date (convocation devant le tribunal correctionnel): this concerns cases in which the prosecution likewise considers that it has all the evidence necessary to establish the defendant’s guilt, but there is no need to hold an immediate trial.
• Judicial investigation (instruction): conducted where the prosecution does not have sufficient evidence of the defendant’s guilt to send the case directly to trial. As a rule, judicial investigations are conducted for the most serious criminal offenses, such as murder, rape, and terrorism. In certain circumstances, however, an investigation may also be conducted in relation to offenses that do not present a particularly serious threat to the public.

Alexander Ovchynnykov’s law office provides criminal defense services for all forms and at all stages of criminal prosecution.