New York Federal Drug Investigations
Federal prosecutors and judges treat these cases more severely than they do white-collar offenses. Narcotics cases are treated the most severely within the federal system by prosecutors and judges because they are bad cases. Experienced federal drug attorneys have seen young people harmed by the distribution of drugs. As a result, federal judges do not have much patience with anyone convicted of narcotics offenses.
Federal Drug Investigations
The US Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security are involved in federal drug investigations in New York. In the federal system, there is a more prevalent use of wiretaps, cooperating witnesses, and confidential informants. The federal system has tremendous resources at their disposal. That is why a person needs a top defense lawyer who previously battled the federal government. Otherwise, the person should be prepared to cooperate or take a lot of jail time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A common mistake individuals make is when they know they are being watched and they continue to deal drugs. In addition, people who use phones create evidence that is difficult to refute later down the road.
The most common mistake made by either the defendant or the prosecutor is underestimating one’s adversary. Many defendants believe they can talk their way out of a federal indictment by convincing the prosecutor that they were not involved, which leads them to meet and make statements to the government without adequate preparation.
A savvy prosecutor can uncover a wealth of useful information without the need for an explicit confession. Sometimes prosecutors become so confident in their case that they become relaxed about conducting thorough New York federal drug investigations. The result could be that information can be exploited by the defendant and surprise the prosecutor.
Evidence Presentations
Drugs are typically presented in federal drug cases. Other forms of evidence are witnesses who can talk about what the person did and the co-conspirators who are now cooperators. Evidence can also include wiretapped conversations, searches for drug paraphernalia, banking information, and unexplained amounts of cash. This evidence is typically used to show the existence of a narcotics conspiracy.
Hiring a Lawyer to Handle New York Federal Drug Investigations
A person should look for a lawyer with tremendous experience in the federal system. A lawyer can easily walk into a state court and handle a state case, but that is not true the other way around. In the federal system, the laws are more complicated, the prosecutors are better, the judges are more attentive, and the juries take the cases more seriously. To hire a federal drug lawyer, a person needs to find one with major federal experience, not just in white collar cases.
A person needs to hire someone with experience and a track record of success with New York federal drug investigations. Individuals should contact a lawyer that is used to dealing with issues like extradition that are not necessarily involved in a state narcotics case. They may be called on to deal with foreign treaties when somebody is brought in from another country through an extradition treaty. A lawyer with relevant experience and success gives a person an idea of how well the lawyer can handle their case.