Drug Charges

Peoria, Illinois, Drug Charges Lawyer

I am Arthur J. Inman, a criminal defense attorney in Peoria, Illinois. I represent people who face drug crime charges throughout Illinois, including the counties of Woodford, Marshall, McDonough, and Tazewell, and the cities and surrounding areas of Springfield, Decatur, Bloomington, Galesburg, Rock Island, and Macomb.

If you have been charged with drug possession, drug delivery, selling drugs, or manufacturing illegal drugs in Illinois, you will need an aggressive defense attorney to avoid or minimize a conviction. Please know that drug charges carry substantial penalties and can result in a permanent criminal record that will negatively affect you for the rest of your life.

There are several specialty drugs including LSD, ecstasy, mushrooms, and methamphetamines (crystal meth), which are prevalent in party situations. These drugs are of great concern to prosecutors due to their long-term effects on the user’s health. Therefore, possession of these drugs is commonly prosecuted in Illinois along with possession of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and illegal prescription drugs, such as Oxycontyn.

The majority of misdemeanor drug possession charges involve a small quantity(less than 30 grams) of marijuana. Penalties for this can range from up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine, to up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. However, almost all other drug possession charges in Illinois are felonies, punishable by anywhere from one to three years in the state penitentiary, or depending upon the circumstances, six to thirty years in the state penitentiary. Extended term sentences double the penalty which can be imposed in certain cases.

Consider also that depending on the amount of drugs in your possession, you could also be charged with intent to sell or trafficking. For example, if you are arrested with five grams or more of cocaine in your possession, you can be charged with intent to sell. Intent to sell is a felony subject to a minimum of four years in prison. If you are arrested with more than 15 grams of cocaine in your possession, you can be charged with a felony, which subjects you to a minimum of 6 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors will frequently pursue "conspiracy" charges for heroin and cocaine trafficking. If you are charged with conspiracy, you may be held responsible for large quantities of cocaine or heroin—drugs which you never saw or handled, but which were moved through a group of people with whom you conspired. Conspiracy charges are very serious because even if you played only a peripheral role in the actual drug transaction, you could still face the same penalties as the person who actually delivered the drugs.

Having practiced criminal law for more than 35 years—including eight spent as a prosecutor—I know how prosecutors handle drug cases. I have defended a large number of drug cases in both state and federal court, and at the appellate level as well.

If you are being charged with a drug-related offense, please contact me at the Law Office of Arthur J. Inman at 309-673-9711. I offer assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.