Champaign County Drug Crimes Lawyer
Based on news accounts, you might think the War on Drugs is over. That is news to Illinois prosecutors. Our state continues to aggressively prosecute those who they believe are involved in the drug trade, and penalties remain as high as ever. It is possible to end up in jail for years all because you made one simple mistake. Indeed, prosecutors do not consider drugs to be “victimless” crimes. It is possible to end up in prison longer than someone who killed a person.
Contact Patel Law, PC today. Our Champaign County drug crime lawyer will review the government’s evidence against you. Many people are over-charged with drug crimes that are not supported by the evidence, whereas other defendants are victims of illegal searches and seizures, and mistakes.
Prosecutors Can Throw the Book at You
We have helped men, women, and juveniles charged with a variety of drug offenses involving marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and even prescription drugs. Drug offenses are both state and federal crimes and can include:
- Drug possession
- Drug possession with intent to deliver
- Drug sale or delivery
- Drug manufacture
- Possession of chemicals to make methamphetamine
- Prescription drug fraud
In Illinois, virtually all drug crimes are felonies other than possession of very small amounts of marijuana. This means that you could face at least one year in prison if convicted of distributing a small amount of illegal drugs. The most serious drug crimes are classified as Class X felonies with sentencing between six and 30 years. Prosecutors might even claim you are part of a criminal enterprise and seek additional charges and penalties on top of those for a drug conviction.
Illinois drug laws also recognize certain aggravating factors, like possession within 1,500 feet of a school or in a public park. Your penalties might double if one of these aggravating factors is present. If you have an illegal firearm with you, then you can face even worse penalties.
We Aggressively Defend Drug Charges
Patel Law, PC has developed many defenses to raise against drug charges. Some of these defenses seek to knock out incriminating evidence from consideration at trial. For example, if the police had no probable cause to search you, then we can ask a judge to suppress the drugs. Similarly, if you were not given the required Miranda warnings, any incriminating statements you made should be excluded. With this evidence excluded, prosecutors have an uphill fight trying to gain a conviction.
Other defendants unknowingly have drugs in their possession, which means they should not be convicted of a drug crime. You might be driving a friend’s car which has drugs in the trunk or carrying a girlfriend’s purse which contains illicit substances. Lack of knowledge is a viable defense.
Contact Patel law, PC Today
Let our Champaign County, Illinois drug offenses lawyers use their experience to settle on the best defense for your case. We can make the strongest argument possible for why you shouldn’t serve any time in jail, even if convicted. We will also seek an acquittal or dismissal where appropriate. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
