If you’re caught transporting drugs or are accused of running a cartel, you’re in a difficult position. You may face hefty fines and significant charges.
Your attorney’s goal is to help reduce the penalties you face, which can help you avoid lengthy prison sentences and penalties in some cases.
Did you know that there are many mandatory minimum sentences for federal drug offenses?
In 2017, the Overview Publication stated that drug mandatory minimum penalties often resulted in long sentences within the federal prison system. This continues to impact how many people are placed in prison. Additionally, the minimum sentencing guidelines do have an impact on the composition of the population of the prison.
The good news found by the same study is that offenses carrying those minimum penalties were used less often, and the total number of people convicted of offenses with mandatory minimums also decreased between 2010 and the time of the study. It’s been shown that statutory relief is significant in these cases and can help reduce the length and severity of sentences when applied to a person’s case.
What does this mean for you? It means that even if you’re facing a mandatory minimum charge, that isn’t a guarantee that you’ll have to carry out the minimum sentence. There could be ways for your criminal defense attorney to negotiate and to have the charges changed, lowered or dropped.
Our site has more on mandatory minimum sentencing and what you should do if you are facing a federal drug charge in Georgia.
