Drug Crimes

Being arrested and charged for possession, sale, distribution, or manufacturing of narcotics are the most common drug offenses in Illinois. Each charge is considered a felony that carries significant penalties that can severely affect your life. Not only do you face jail time, but there are also other long-lasting impacts on your life, including the loss of access to benefits and difficulty finding a job. You will need an experienced drug offense lawyer to help you fight the charges against you.

Many people do not understand the seriousness of the charges or why they are charged in a certain way. Possessing, selling, distributing, or manufacturing illicit drugs are felonies in Illinois. The degree of felony depends on how much of the substance is found in your possession.

Due to the opioid crisis, the State of Illinois is aggressively prosecuting narcotics. They are highly addictive, and many people die each year from overdoses. Because of this, the prosecutors and the courts may be less forgiving.

While there are many street names for these drugs, under Illinois law narcotics include:

• Heroin
• Cocaine
• Opium
• Opiates including:
  • Oxycodone
  • Codeine
  • Hydrocodone
  • Methadone
  • Hydromorphone

The Illinois Controlled Substance Act lays out the law concerning drug offenses. Each substance is broken into five groups or schedules. The schedules are arranged in descending order concerning potential abuse and whether the substance has practical medical applications. For example, schedule I substances have a high risk of abuse and no accepted medical use whereas Schedule V has a low risk of potential abuse and a high level of medical applications.

Depending on how much of the drug is present, how harmful it is, and how it’s used as medicine will dictate the severity of your charges. A great drug defense lawyer can help you understand the charges you are facing and what the maximum possible consequences are if you are convicted. They will also work on your behalf to mitigate the charges and get you the best verdict possible.