Illinois Sees Spike In Drug Crime Convictions

Illinois Sees Spike In Drug Crime Convictions

Recent reports have shown a dramatic spike in drug crime convictions in Illinois. In 2021, The Illinois State Police reported in the drug enforcement report there were the following increases in drug charges:

• 396% more fentanyl
• 263% more heroin
• 190% more methamphetamine

The Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) reported that its nine groups made more than 2,200 seizures of illegal drugs with a value of $71 million. These seizures led to 878 arrests for the possession or trafficking of these substances. While many of these arrests were legitimate, sometimes a wrongful or questionable arrest occurs. If you have been recently charged with a drug crime, you should talk to a Palos Heights felony drug charge attorney.

How Can You Beat A Felony Drug Charge In Illinois?

No matter if you were arrested near Joe Daniels or The Children’s Farm at the Center in  Palos Heights, there is no question that a felony drug charge in Illinois is serious. However, there are several ways a qualified defense attorney may be able to assist you:

Civil Rights Violations

A common issue with many arrests is the police do not follow proper legal procedures. If you think the police violated your rights during a drug arrest, an attorney should review your case soon.

According to the Fourth Amendment, the police must follow specific search and seizure procedures. If they do not have a search warrant, they need probable cause to stop and search you. For example, if they suspect you have a bag of meth on you, the police have probable cause to detain you.

However, if the police stopped your car because your brake light was out, they cannot search your car for drugs without cause. But if the illegal drugs are in open view on the passenger seat, this would be a reasonable search.

The Drugs Belong To Someone Else

Sometimes the drugs in question belong to someone else. For example, suppose you share an apartment with a roommate. The police see there are illegal drugs on the table and assume they belong to you. They could belong to the other person. Your defense attorney will attempt to prove that the illicit drugs were not yours.

The Police Entrapped You

If a police officer attempts to convince you to commit a drug crime, you could claim entrapment. Entrapment means the police officer encouraged you to commit an illegal act and arrested you.

You usually need to show in court that you would not have done the drug crime if the police had not encouraged it. In a felony drug case, it often means the police gave you the drugs in question and encouraged you to buy or sell them. Your criminal defense attorney in Illinois can fight back against this unjust situation.

Contact A Palos Heights Felony Drug Charge Attorney

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Illinois, including drug trafficking or drug possession, you must talk to our Palos Heights felony drug charge attorney today. Michael D. Ettinger & Associates can assist with your drug charge defense case. Please call (708) 923-0368.