Defense Attorneys With Federal Experience

At RaquinMercer LLC, we handle federal cases in Maryland for the Northern and Southern Division – in Baltimore and Greenbelt – and the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Attorney Steve Mercer also represents clients in the federal District Court in the District of Columbia. Attorneys Isabelle Raquin and Steve Mercer can provide you with the knowledgeable advice and skilled representation you need. Our team has a passion for federal defense work, and we do everything we can to protect the rights of the accused.

Our federal experience extends to a wide range of cases, including:

Child pornography
Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Act (VICAR)
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)
Drug possession, distribution or importation
Trafficking of guns and firearms

Federal Sentencing Guidelines

To determine your sentence, the judge will use federal sentencing guidelines. The guidelines can be complex, and the potential mandatory minimum sentences are very severe. Our firm knows how to work the guidelines and sentencing factors in order to mitigate the range of calculated points and give you the best possible outcome.

Protecting Your Rights At Every Stage Of The Process

Our firm assists clients throughout the criminal justice process, including if you have been contacted by the police as a suspect, target, person of interest, or as a witness, if you received a summons, or if you have been subpoenaed to testify at trial or before a grand jury. You should retain a lawyer to advise you of your rights. Our attorneys will:

Make sure you don’t incriminate yourself
Prepare you for the charges to come
Start investigating the case early and collect evidence
Negotiate the conditions of your release if an arrest is made
Protect you from harassment by the police, Child Protection Services, the state or government, or the media

If you have been charged or have reason to believe you are under investigation, it is important to consult with an attorney as soon as possible. Contact us now for a consultation.

Practice Areas

The importance of issue preservation for an appeal

Getting a guilty verdict in a criminal trial is a grim moment for a defendant. Nonetheless, the verdict does not necessarily doom a defendant to serving a sentence. To ensure justice, convicted defendants in Maryland and the District of Columbia have the right to...

How reliable is DNA evidence?

When it comes to criminal cases, courts consider DNA evidence as a reliable indication of a person's guilt or innocence. A technician will collect DNA samples at the scene of the crime, take them to a lab, and test them to look for a potential match. When there is a...

How do collateral consequences affect people?

A felony conviction can have a deep impact on people. Even after people fulfill a prison sentence, they may experience additional consequences. A criminal conviction is often accompanied by collateral consequences. The State of Maryland defines collateral consequences...

Appeals due to ineffective assistance of counsel

If you lost a trial and feel that your attorney did not do an appropriate job of defending you, you may be able to file an appeal due to ineffective assistance of counsel. As part of your right to have a fair trial, the actions of your lawyer play a role, whether the...