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So, I was found with methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, or heroin in my car at the San Diego-Tijuana  or Mexicali, Mexico Border.  I confessed to authorities.  So what now?
Lets assume that you or your loved one decides to plead guilty Why spend the money to hire an expensive criminal defense attorney?

I am often asked, what is a Jewell plea. ? And in the case of a client, I am also asked is a Jewell plea better than a regular plea in a narcotics case.
Many of these cases come up when person crosses from...

Good news is few far between when it comes to penalties for federal drug offenses.  Federal drug penalties for the importation of narcotics such as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine are daunting:  often more than five years.   The United States Sentencing Commission has finally given some relief for a...

Yes, it really does happen. Doesn't it make sense that the drugs cartels would prefer that they do not have to pay the person for transporting drugs across the border? Every day in Tijuana and San Diego people cross the border, and many of these people...

If you or someone you know is facing federal drug charges, hiring an experienced and skilled criminal defense attorney is crucial. With so much at stake, it's important to choose an attorney who understands the complexities of federal drug laws and has a proven track record of success in defending clients against...

AI arrived before many of us even knew what these initials stand for. We see frightening statistics every day about the number of jobs that are going to be eliminated by this new technology.   The last time I was in Las Vegas, Nevada a robot in a bar...

After thirty-five years of solo criminal practice, I have decided to join forces with another law firm. Effective immediately, I am Senior Criminal Litigation Counsel at the Law Offices of Anna R.  Yum in San Diego. Anna and I share the same vision in our practice of law:  the...

Every day thousands of people cross the border from Mexico into the United States. The border crossing at Tijuana/San Ysidro, California is the busiest in the world, followed by the Mexicali, Mexico, El Centro, California crossing.   Many of the drivers coming into the United States are carrying narcotics in...

Federal drug cases carry severe mandatory minimum penalties. What a mandatory sentence means is that a judge must sentence an offender to at least the minimum sentence.  The most common minimum sentence is ten-years imprisonment and it is prescribed for many federal drug smuggling offenses.  The most common federal crimes in San...

Last week, my friend, and criminal defense attorney, Diane Regan, passed away suddenly.  Her office was in El Centro, California.  We often collaborated on cases together. Diane was both a very good human being and defense attorney.  So many of her clients have called me with stories about acts...

Drug smugglers are always inventing new ways to trick individuals into carrying drugs across the border for them. It is better for the smugglers if the person doesn't know they are carrying drugs because the smuggler doesn't have to pay them and the border crosser will not appear to be nervous.  

When a person is arrested, the first thing they generally want to know is if they can get out of jai.  In many cases the answer is yes.   In federal court, the bail process is very different than state court.  Rarely, are bail bondsmen used.   When setting...