When faced with drug charges in Illinois, you may be looking at severe penalties. A felony conviction could lead to prison time and hefty fines. Even a misdemeanor offense will have a major impact on your life and future. You have many important rights in the criminal...
Drug Crimes
How police abuse probable cause
Probable cause is a sometimes murky principle that police use as the basis for many searches, resulting in many arrests. Probable cause is the reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime. However, police use this concept as a broad umbrella to justify...
Drug trafficking and distribution laws in Illinois
Drug laws in Illinois are complicated and confusing. Any drug charge can result in serious consequences, but the penalties are even harsher for those involving delivery or trafficking. “Drug trafficking” means different things in different states. Illinois has its own...
Breaking down drug charges in Illinois
Drug offenses can be extremely complicated and confusing. To begin with, there are two separate legal frameworks for drug crimes: state-level charges and federal offenses. Federal charges generally involve trafficking and come with mandatory minimum prison sentences....
What kinds of drug paraphernalia are illegal to possess?
Drug charges are often associated with possessing controlled substances such as cocaine, heroin, meth, fentanyl and illegal prescriptions. But you can also face charges for possession of drug paraphernalia without actually possessing any illegal substances. Possession...
What is the difference between drug possession and trafficking in Illinois?
Despite Illinois legalizing marijuana for recreational use, state law still criminalizes the possession and sale of several substances, including heroin, methamphetamine and LSD. It is also against the law to have certain medications, such as fentanyl and anabolic...
K-9 alerts: how reliable are they?
K-9 units for police are a heavily utilized tool to allow for vehicle searches. In a perfect scenario, the dog will smell possible narcotics, and the police will search the car and make an arrest. However, that scenario is not always the case. The fact is k-9 units...
The high cost of driving under the influence of marijuana
While we all know that you should not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, sometimes mistakes happen. One mistake should not mean the end of your driving privileges or your clean record. If law enforcement arrests you for driving under the influence of...
Can police search your car if they smell weed?
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees your right to be free from “unreasonable search or seizure.” This means police can’t search your vehicle during a traffic stop unless they have reasonable grounds – in legal terms, “probable cause” – to believe...
Is there a knowledge requirement for drug possession charges in Illinois?
If you’re facing drug possession charges in Illinois, the prosecution has to prove that you committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. That includes proving that you knew you had the drugs. This knowledge requirement is an important part of the criminal offense....