Hampton Roads Federal Drug Lawyer

Federal drug offenses are drug offenses that are elevated beyond the state level, due to extenuating circumstances. They can result in serious penalties, which in turn, could have life-altering consequences if you are convicted. If you want to know more about federal drug offenses, consult a Hampton Roads federal drug lawyer. A distinguished drug attorney could devote the time and resources necessary to achieve the best possible outcome in your case.

Factors That Make a Drug Case Federal

For the federal government to be involved, a drug offense has to occur on federal property. In Virginia, there are a number of military bases so there are people who may have marijuana in their possession and then they try to go on base. In the process of going on base, they might get searched and found to have marijuana in their possession. The other possibility is that if somehow they can prove that the substance has crossed state lines, either there was a trafficking operation or someone is on a highway and they can prove that they picked it up in one state and crossed another state. In that case, then that would trigger federal jurisdiction.

Usually, the courts tend to focus on, first off, the amount of the substance. Is it a small amount or is it something significant that suggests someone is a heavy volume dealer? Also, if someone has connections to either known volume dealers or known cartel members that would interest the federal government, and could potentially lead to a person being involved in a federal drug case.

Different Types of Federal Drug Offenses

Federal courts will prosecute someone for basically the same thing as a state will, assuming it is done on federal property or across state lines. The reality is that a distribution case is going to have to be significant for the federal government to get involved. Usually, they do not make purchases for a small time for a gram or half an ounce. Usually, there are significant quantities of a controlled substance for someone to face any sort of federal drug trafficking charge.

Most commonly, there are two types of drug offenses: simple possession of marijuana in which people go on base and when they try to get on base, they are found with marijuana. Then, beyond that, there are distribution charges which may involve heroin or cocaine of significant volumes, such as over 100 pounds. Federal prosecutors are most interested in drugs in volumes of over 100 pounds so it has to do with weight.

How Federal Prosecutors and Judges Treat Federal Drug Cases

Federal prosecutors and judges treat federal drug cases very seriously. Usually, they are dealing with significant amounts of drugs being involved and this is not a dime bag or a small amount of marijuana; they are talking about significant amounts of an illegal substance with tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. They treat these charges very seriously and they will prosecute them vigorously. That is why it is important to work with a Hampton Roads federal drug lawyer. A federal drug attorney may have experience handling these cases and could leverage their experience when negotiating with judges and the prosecution.

Importance of Consulting a Hampton Roads Federal Drug Attorney

Even when a federal court is using state charges, the federal judges and state judges are completely different and the prosecutors are different people. If someone goes into federal court thinking everything will go like it did in state court, they are going to be surprised because the two do not behave the same. A person would want somebody who has handled cases in federal court and knows the prosecutors there and knows the judges and can kind of give them an idea of how things are going to go. A capable Hampton Roads federal drug lawyer could make a huge difference in a person’s case.