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Acquittal at Snaresbrook Crown Court: from London to Hollywood

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Acquittal at Snaresbrook Crown Court: from London to Hollywood

MPR Solicitors secured the acquittal of an aspiring and talented young film director on charges of money laundering at Snaresbrook Crown Court this week. A conviction would have been devastating for our client as it would have precluded them from working in the USA and made it impossible for them to fly out to the US for film festivals and screenings at short notice under the visa waiver programme. Therefore the stakes were high in this case and the pressure was on for partner Seema Parikh who was the solicitor leading the defence team and specialises in criminal litigation. The added difficulty was that the client had been unrepresented at the police station and had on the literal reading of the police interview transcripts made admissions to the charges.

The case required meticulous case preparation and tactical considerations pre-trial and during  the trial. Defence witnesses from overseas and from the world of Film and Television were called to give evidence. We had to turn the case around and look at it from a completely different angle.

Senior defence counsel from a top 10 set of London Barristers  Chambers was selected to defend the client at trial. Due to her extensive contacts within the legal profession, Seema Parikh was able to secure heavyweight counsel for the case. At MPR Solicitors we only instruct barristers that meet our own very stringent quality criteria and in the majority of cases whom we have seen first hand in action in court. This allows us to have complete confidence in the trial advocate and the reassurance that our clients are getting a first class service from their defence team.

It was a very stressful period in our client’s life and we were on hand to advise throughout and after the trial process. In addition to securing the acquittal, we were able to obtain a defence costs order in favour of our client which means that we will be able to apply to the National Taxing Team to reimburse some if not all of our client’s legal fees and expenses as the case was being funded privately.

It should also be worth noting that if you are required to attend court to give evidence of fact for a defendant, then as a witness you can claim your travel fares and costs for attending court and this includes air travel.

Our client’s latest film has been screened in the UK to much critical acclaim and will now be submitted to the international Tribeca film festival in New York in the Spring of 2013.

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