WHY YOU CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE WAR ON DRUGS

A White Paper Presented by Ron Cordova, Attorney-at-Law

Attorney Ron Cordova understands just how serious a federal drug crime conviction can be, affecting your permanent record, your professional reputation and, of course, your personal freedom. As such, he wants to help you better understand both your rights and the law itself, including why certain terms often used in relation to narcotics offenses -- decriminalization, legalization, reform, etc. -- are simply not in the vocabulary of the federal government.

IN THIS PRESENTATION, YOU WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT:

• California's current stance toward drug crimes

• The federal government's current stance toward drug crimes

• The severity of convictions for federal drug crimes

California's stance toward drug crimes has evolved considerably over the last two decades thanks to the efforts of law enforcement officials, state lawmakers and, of course, voters.

This gradual move away from automatic punishment and incarceration for drug crimes here in the Golden State was made possible by some of the following measures: • Compassionate Use Act (1996): Made California

the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes

• Proposition 36 (2012): Gave those sentenced to life in prison for minor drug crimes under the Three Strikes law the ability to seek sentence reductions

• Proposition 47 (2014): Made California the first state to mandate misdemeanor sentences for the majority of drug possession offenses

HAS THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT ADOPTED

A SIMILARLY PROGRESSIVE

APPROACH TO DRUG

CRIMES?

THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING NO. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials remain as committed as ever to fighting the war on drugs across the nation, including right here in California.

NO!

STATISTICS FROM THE UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION SHOW JUST HOW SERIOUS THIS COMMITMENT IS: • Drug trafficking offenses comprised

30.4 percent of all reported federal criminal offenses for fiscal year 2013, with 96.3 percent of offenders in these cases ultimately being sent to prison.

• The Southern District of California saw 1,426 federal drug trafficking cases for fiscal year 2013, second only to the Western District of Texas.

30.4%

2ND IN NATION

HOW CONCERNED SHOULD DEFENDANTS BE ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF FACING FEDERAL DRUG CHARGES?

VERY CONCERNED, AS THE STAKES FOR DEFENDANTS ARE MUCH HIGHER IN FEDERAL COURT, INCLUDING:

Larger fines

Limited possibilities for probation

Mandatory minimum sentences

FEDERAL MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES ARE ESPECIALLY ALARMING given that they are tied solely to the type of drug and the quantity found by law enforcement officials.

TRANSLATION: The more dangerous the drug and/or the more of it that was present, the more years a person will likely spend in federal prison.

To show just how serious the federal mandatory minimums sentences are, consider that a conviction on first-offense drug trafficking charges can result in anywhere from five years to 40 years or 10 years to life depending on the amount of drugs involved.

FREE WHITE PAPER To learn more about federal drug

charges and, more importantly,

how California's new approach

to drug crimes must not lead you

to underestimate the federal

government's resolve, please

read a free copy of our firm's

white paper.

© 2015 Ron Cordova, Attorney-at-Law All Rights Reserved. Design and editorial services by FindLaw, part of Thomson Reuters

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