Drug Crime Lawyer in Cambridge, MA

Defense Built on Time Inside the System That Prosecutes These Cases

I spent years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Boston with the federal Drug Task Force (OCDETF), prosecuting drug conspiracies that crossed state and international lines. Before that, I was a Senior Trial Attorney in the Middlesex County DA’s Office, assigned to Superior Court in Cambridge, where I prosecuted cocaine and heroin trafficking cases. From 1995 to 1996, I served as Sheriff of Middlesex County, overseeing the Cambridge Jail and working alongside the courts, prosecutors, and probation officers who handle Cambridge drug cases to this day. I never lost a federal trial.

That history is the foundation of what I bring to every Cambridge drug case I now defend. I know the prosecutors, the investigative tactics, and the evidentiary pressure points from the inside.

If you or someone you know is facing a drug charge in Cambridge or Middlesex County, contact Brad Bailey Law now at (617) 500-0252 for a free, confidential consultation available by phone, in person, or virtually, 24/7.

Drug Charges I Defend in Cambridge

Drug cases in Cambridge, Massachusetts move through Cambridge District Court for most misdemeanors and lower-level felonies, and through Middlesex Superior Court for serious felonies. Federal charges arising from DEA or multi-agency investigations are heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston. I handle all of them.

Charge Categories

I defend the full range of state and federal drug offenses, including:

• Drug possession
• Possession with intent to distribute
• Drug distribution
• Drug trafficking
• Drug manufacturing
• Drug conspiracy
• Drug smuggling

I’ve defended cases involving heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, oxycodone, methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription drugs, and other controlled substances.

Prior Case Results

Past cases have included a not guilty verdict in Commonwealth v. Dell’Isola (cocaine trafficking over 28 grams), representation in United States v. Palazuelos-Soto (one of the largest cocaine cases prosecuted in federal court in New Hampshire, involving an international cartel), and United States v. Carlos Pizarro, a cocaine and heroin distribution case involving police corruption. Prior results don’t guarantee future outcomes, but they reflect the level of case I’m prepared to handle.

Sentencing Exposure by Charge

Under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 94C, drugs are classified into five classes (A through E), and both the class and quantity determine the mandatory minimum sentences a defendant can face. Trafficking charges are felonies that can carry mandatory minimums upon conviction. Federal charges, typically built on wiretap evidence, confidential informants, and multi-agency surveillance, can carry severe exposure.

What a Former Federal Drug Prosecutor Sees That Others Don’t

When I worked with the Drug Task Force, I built cases using confidential informants, coordinated multi-agency surveillance, and argued drug conspiracies before federal juries. I drafted the same search warrant affidavits that defense attorneys now challenge in court. That experience helps me identify where those warrants may be vulnerable, where informant credibility may break down, and where chain of custody in drug lab testing may fail.

Defense Strategies I Examine in Every Cambridge Drug Case

No two cases are alike, but certain constitutional and evidentiary pressure points appear consistently in Cambridge drug prosecutions. I evaluate all of the following:

• Motions to suppress evidence obtained through unlawful searches or seizures under the Fourth Amendment
• Challenges to confidential informant reliability, including the basis for probable cause in warrant applications
• Drug lab testing and chain of custody challenges that can undermine the Commonwealth’s evidence
• Lack of probable cause motions to dismiss where the stop, search, or arrest was constitutionally defective

My Credentials

I’m known and respected by the judges and clerks of the federal court in Boston. I’ve tried over 100 superior court and federal cases across five decades of criminal law practice, been selected to Super Lawyers every year from 2014 through 2025, and hold a 10.0 Superb AVVO rating, an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and a National Top 100 Trial Lawyer designation. I earned my undergraduate degree from Harvard University and my law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

What a Drug Conviction in Cambridge Can Cost You

A conviction under M.G.L. c. 94C can mean prison or jail time, substantial fines, and asset forfeiture under state or federal law. Those are the headline consequences. The ones that follow you longest are often harder to see at the outset.

Collateral Consequences

A drug conviction can close doors to employment, housing, professional licenses, and federal financial aid for education. For non-citizens, a conviction may trigger removal proceedings regardless of how long you’ve lived in the United States, which is why early legal intervention matters so much. Depending on the nature of the offense, a drug conviction can also affect your Massachusetts driver’s license and your ability to work and manage daily life.

School Zone Enhancements in Cambridge

Cambridge’s dense urban geography creates particular risk under the school zone enhancement statute. Under M.G.L. c. 94C, § 32J, distributing or possessing with intent to distribute within 300 feet of a school or 100 feet of a public park or playground can add a mandatory two-year sentence on top of the underlying charge when certain aggravating conditions are met. These enhancements appear frequently in Cambridge cases precisely because schools, parks, and day cares are everywhere. I defend clients against state charges brought by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and federal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Contact a Cambridge Drug Crime Attorney Today

The earlier I get involved in a drug investigation or after an arrest, the more room there is to preserve evidence, identify constitutional issues, and protect your rights before charges are formally filed or before your arraignment at Cambridge District Court. Waiting can cost options.

Free consultations are available by phone, in person, or virtually, and my office is reachable 24/7. Call Brad Bailey Law at (617) 500-0252 to speak with a drug crime lawyer in Cambridge who has prosecuted these cases and now defends them.