The federal drug sentencing guidelines are designed to give the courts a range of permissible sentences in any case involving federal drug charges.  However, these guidelines are only advisory, meaning that the judge has the discretion to depart from the guidelines if he or she has good reason. Because the risk of jail time in federal cases is significant and the prosecution has substantially more resources than at the state level, you need a federal drug charge lawyer with the experience, resources and innovative spirit necessary to craft a strong argument that the judge should depart from the guidelines and impose a lesser sentence where the prosecution’s case is strong.