IMPORTANCE OF HIRING AN ATTORNEY IN FEDERAL DRUG CASES

Below is a discussion of the advantages of having private counsel in a drug case when facing federal drug trafficking charges in Minnesota.

WHY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY EARLY ON IN A FEDERAL DRUG CASE?

As a defendant, you want to make sure that you have the best possible chance at getting justice. Contacting an attorney early on in the process can ensure that your rights are protected the entire way. If a person waits until after they’ve had an opportunity to meet with law enforcement and law enforcement tells them about the case that’s against them and things of that nature, they may — without the advice of counsel — decide to waive their rights and give incriminating statements, which can never be taken back and which can be used against them.

Some people make this mistake, thinking law enforcement is just going to understand the story and perhaps this will all go away. It almost never goes away. If they’ve got you at the police station or the FBI Field Office, chances are they’ve already built a pretty good case against you. They’re only looking for you to make statements to make their case even stronger. You have the right to remain silent under the Constitution and a lawyer can advise you of these rights and other things so that you don’t make a misstep which causes the case to be stronger against you.

ARE DRUG CASES TREATED DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHER FEDERAL OFFENSES?

A good way to compare it is between federal court and state court. Drug offenses are considered very serious under the federal sentencing guidelines. There are all types of statutory minimums for possessing certain amounts of narcotics. A person can receive up to a life sentence in situations where they have a certain amount of narcotics and they have two prior drug convictions. It is an extremely serious situation. Defendants are facing a lot of time in federal court.

In some state-level situations, it is not at all uncommon for a person to get some type of sentence with a short period of incarceration, or “local time” followed by probation or supervised release on drug charges. You are not, generally, going to see that in federal court; people get serious time.

That is one of the considerations that a defendant has to make when doing an assessment of the case. Are there avenues for us to pursue in terms of defending it? If so, if we have a good chance of winning, then let’s go forward and let’s take the case to trial. If there are no good avenues, then you’ve got to sit down and have a serious talk about the pros and cons of challenging it versus working out the best deal you can possibly make given the downside of losing a trial. Some of these cases could result in life without parole.

VALUE OF HIRING AN ATTORNEY WITH EXPERIENCE IN FEDERAL DRUG CASES?

By having an experienced federal drug lawyer working on these cases, you are assured that you are trusting someone that understands the federal court process to your benefit. An experienced federal drug lawyer in Minnesota can determine whether the best route to go with your defense and protect your rights.

Contact Kassius Benson at Kassius Benson Law, P.A. today at (612) 333-2755.