Dallas Lawyer for Drug Trafficking Defense

Dallas drug trafficking attorney from Broden & Mickelsen

There are many kinds of drug charges that the government may bring in federal court. The most common charges are the distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

People who are convicted often face harsh sentences in the range of 30 years to life. Unlike defendants facing charges in state court and sentences in state prison, people who are serving time in federal prison must serve 85 percent of their sentence.

If you’ve been charged with drug trafficking or another serious drug offense, you need an experienced federal criminal defense attorney who has successfully handled cases like yours before. At Broden & Mickelsen, LLP, our Dallas drug trafficking lawyers will immediately launch into a full investigation and develop a strategy for how to successfully defend your case.

We will fight tooth and nail for the best possible outcome. If a guilty plea is inevitable, our team will work diligently to secure a favorable plea bargain that does not call for a mandatory minimum sentence.

Contact Broden & Mickelsen, LLP for a free case review with a seasoned drug defense lawyer located in Dallas.

Our Dallas Drug Defense Lawyers Have Extensive Experience Handling Complex Drug Cases

Dallas drug defense attorney

Our Dallas drug trafficking attorneys at Broden & Mickelsen, LLP have successfully represented numerous individuals at trial and through the sentencing process in federal drug trafficking cases. Some notable drug cases include:

  • A client with three prior federal drug convictions who was facing 22 to 27 years imprisonment for being a career criminal was found NOT GUILTY by a Midland jury of a new drug charge after a three-day trial.
  • A district judge in the Southern District of Florida, after the filing of a Hyde Amendment motion by Broden & Mickelsen, LLP found that the government’s prosecution of the defendant had been in bad faith and ordered the government to pay all attorney fees and costs incurred by the defendant. This is one of only a handful of Hyde Amendment motions that have ever been granted.
  • A client who was charged with distributing large amounts of marijuana was found NOT GUILTY by a jury in Dallas after our investigation proved that the client was not in Dallas during the times the government claimed he was distributing marijuana.
  • A United States district judge for the Southern District of Florida dismissed a federal drug case involving large amounts of cocaine on the second day of trial because of the government’s discovery violations. The client, who had previously been represented by 10 different lawyers, was released after spending over seven years in prison.

What Is Considered Drug Trafficking?

You may be charged with drug trafficking if you knowingly sell, manufacture, distribute, transport, or dispense a controlled substance. You may also face charges if you are found in possession of controlled substances with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense them.

These cases can be extremely complex, with multiple defendants and a significant amount of discovery. After an arrest, you need to speak with a Dallas drug trafficking attorney as soon as possible to begin constructing a strong defense.

Understanding the Federal Drug Sentencing Guidelines

The federal sentencing guidelines are primarily intended to reduce sentencing disparities in federal court. They are a complex system for evaluating the severity of a given crime through a point system. The more severe the crime, the more points, and the final “offense level” determination.

Once the offense level of a given crime is determined, a guideline sentencing range is derived by cross-referencing the offense level with the defendant’s criminal history category. The criminal history category is derived from an analysis of the defendant’s criminal convictions and sentences and how recent they are. Although a federal judge is not required to impose a sentence within the guideline sentencing range, they are required by law to calculate the guideline range and give “consideration” to them when imposing a sentence.

As a practical matter, the vast majority of federal judges impose sentences within the guideline range. If they elect to “depart” or “vary” from the guideline range, they do so by reducing or increasing the offense level or criminal history for some reason not taken into account in the initial offense level or criminal history determination.