When it comes to drug offense charges, federal charges may carry much harsher penalties than do state charges. Prosecutors working for the federal government aggressively pursue federal charges when crimes are committed on federal property or when a drug crime is committed across state lines. Drug-related crimes such as Drug trafficking as well as drug sales i.e. intent to distribute are often prosecuted under federal drug guidelines.
The type and amount of drugs involved will also affect the punishments handed down by the federal courts.
At Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC, each New York Federal Drug Crime Lawyer understands the crucial points contained in a federal drug case and our office will represent clients facing a wide variety of drug-related charges including:
When speaking of federal drug charges, it's important to keep in mind that these cases often comprise of both federal and state criminal charges. While the laws may overlap in certain places, they don't always mirror one another. It's also important to remember that the federal justice system isn't a mirror image of the state's system. If a person is charged with a federal drug crime, they need an experienced New York Federal Drug Crime Lawyer who is comfortable in defending charges in federal courts.
Federal drug charges often pertain to possession and/or trafficking of illegal narcotics. These narcotics include, but are not limited to, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and cocaine. In addition, federal drug charges often deal with drugs the public may not think are covered by drug statutes, such as Oxycodone, tranquilizers and Vicodin.
Because the government takes the 'War on Drugs' so seriously, the federal guidelines contain mandatory sentences for various drug offenses. What this means is that if you're charged and tried in federal court for a drug-related offense, the judge won't have the discretion to hand down a lighter sentence. Additionally, there is no parole available under federal guidelines.
While the crime may be the same, the federal drug offenses differ greatly from the state level. The federal government created the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act back in 1970, which was set up to deal with the influx of drugs into the United States; drugs such as cocaine, PCP, etc. These drugs are categorized into five categories or schedules. These categories group the drugs into the most addictive to the least, and punishments are gauged based on which category the drugs fall into.
If you're facing a drug-related charge at either the federal of state level, it's vital that you have experienced legal representation. Our New York Federal Drug Crime Lawyer team at Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC will review and investigate your case to determine the best defense for you. We will aggressively attack the state's evidence to determine whether your rights under the Fourth Amendment were violated and we'll negotiate with the prosecutors to try and reduce your charges and/or punishment. Contact our New York Federal Drug Crime Lawyer staff at Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC at 800.696.9529 or contact one of our New York City offices serving Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn or the Bronx, or in Westchester County or one of our Long Island offices in Nassau County or Suffolk County.