Portsmouth New Hampshire Drug Crime Attorneys

If you or a family member has been charged with a crime involving possession of drugs or trafficking (sale) in drugs, you need to speak with an experienced drug crime attorney. Call the attorneys of NIELSEN & BLY to arrange an in-office consultation with our experienced defense attorneys.

Our attorneys have experience in both state and federal courts in cases involving misdemeanor and felony drug charges. Our attorneys have experience dealing with cases ranging from simple possession to cases involving large conspiracies with multiple defendants in complex drug trafficking charges. We have handled cases involving drugs such as GHB, marijuana, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin and illegally obtained prescription drugs.

It is important to understand that there is a big difference between being charged with a state and a federal crime. Many times, cases start out in the state court and the federal government steps in and takes over the case. Usually when this happens, the case is dismissed in the state court to allow the Feds to prosecute the case.

The rules of evidence, procedure and discovery are very different in federal court. Cases generally proceed very quickly in federal court while in state court, drug cases generally take much longer to resolve. The penalties for identical crimes in state and federal court may look very different as well. Many times, the penalties in federal court are much more severe, which is why it is normally in your best interests to keep the case out of federal court at all costs.

It is important to keep in mind that a drug conviction, even a no-jail misdemeanor conviction, can have a serious impact on your future. If you are a college student and you receive federally funded financial aid, you are required to report any drug crime conviction. A drug crime conviction will likely mean the loss of any financial aid and possibly, any scholarships. The financial hardship on a family of a student convicted of a drug crime cannot be underestimated.

You need professionally aggressive representation now!

There are options… you have rights! While most cases are resolved through plea negotiations, some cases go the route of trial or cooperation with the government. Your attorney can explain those options to you. Therefore it is important to get an attorney involved in your case immediately so he can advise you of the best options available to you in the case.

Many drug cases begin innocently enough; you are stopped for speeding or you have a tail light out and the police officer demands that you let him search your car at night. Many of these stop and searches occur at night with multiple police officers and drug-sniffing dogs present. This can be an extremely intimidating environment and many searches take on a coercive nature.

The search of your car may be unlawful if it violated your constitutional rights to be free from unlawful searches and seizures. Perhaps a drug dog was brought on scene and your travel was delayed for an inordinately long period of time; that delay may constitute an unreasonable seizure. These are issues that can be explored with your attorney as unlawful searches or seizures may result in a dismissal of the case.

Other options in your case include cooperating with the government. Cooperation is always a difficult choice to make because many people are afraid of being labeled as a “snitch” when the case is over. Cooperation isn’t for everyone and is a highly personal choice that should be seriously discussed with your attorney.

Many times the police or federal agents will want to speak with you and will try and convince you to talk and possibly cooperate before you have a chance to speak with an attorney. This is a very dangerous time and you should carefully consider refusing to speak with or cooperate with the police until you have an opportunity to speak with an attorney. The reason you want an attorney involved is so that he can be present during the interview in the event you decide to cooperate. This will ensure that the police don’t cross the line and make promises that they can’t keep or attempt to intimidate you into making damaging statements.

Our attorneys are experienced in fighting drug cases. We take a highly aggressive approach to these cases and go over all of the evidence with a microscope. We analyze the lab reports for both drug quantity and type to determine if any mistakes were made in the field or the lab. We look closely at police reports and witness statements for discrepancies that can produce reasonable doubt at trial. Many times we will bring in a private investigator, usually a former police officer, to interview witnesses that weren’t named in the police report to determine the accuracy of witness recollections and police officer veracity. Even if we assume everyone is telling the truth, the versions of that truth can be dramatically different.

If you want an attorney who will fight for your rights and who will provide you with sound legal advice, call the law offices of NIELSEN & BLY at 603-373-1617 to speak with an experienced attorney about your case.