Belleville Criminal Defense Blog

There are many laws regulating the possession and distribution of drugs. These laws can result in significant consequences for those people who are caught breaking them. These consequences can include significant fines, prison time, and a mar on one's record. However, only people who are convicted will have to experience these ramifications.

People who are charged with drug crimes are not automatically deemed guilty. In many instances there are criminal defense options available to these individuals. Most of these defenses begin with the stop and search of the person or his or her vehicle. Everyone has a constitutional right against illegal searches and seizures, and, as a result, the police must follow certain rules when they stop people and search them. If the police do not follow these rules and thereby illegally stop or search a person, then the evidence of any drugs found on them or in their vehicles could be suppressed. If that evidence is suppressed then a conviction is unlikely.

When people drink too much and drive in Illinois, they could be charged with a DUI. This is true for anyone. No one is above the law in that respect. This is evidenced by the fact that a former Assistant State's Attorney was recently charged with a DUI. She allegedly drove her vehicle through a stop sign, hit another car, drove over a curb, and eventually crashed through the wall of a business. She was trapped in the car when officers arrived due to a wall of the building landing on her vehicle. She allegedly had a BAC of .43 at the time.

She has now been charged with a DUI and recently lost her driver's license due to a summary suspension. There are many people who drink and drive in Illinois, and it can be very dangerous to not only the person driving but everyone else on the road. Drunk drivers can cause accidents that leave people hurt. That is why there are significant penalties for people who are caught drinking and driving.

It is a reality that many people use drugs in Illinois. Many of these drugs are illegal to possess and sell. This means that if people are caught with drugs on their person they could be charged with drug crimes. However, selling these drugs could result in more severe penalties.

People are not always caught in the act of actually selling drugs. However, even if they are not caught in the act of selling, individuals can still be charged with possession with the intent to deliver. Proving the intent element of such a crime is not always straightforward though, so there are a number of factors that are used to determine whether an individual has committed this drug offense.

No one in Illinois is perfect and from time to time people make mistakes. There are many different types of mistakes and many different consequences people face because of those mistakes. Some mistakes are more serious than others. For example, some mistakes can lead to people being fired from their jobs, losing friends and in some situations can lead to criminal charges. If people end up being convicted of those criminal charges, the consequences can affect them for a long time.

Criminal charges and convictions are considered public record, which means that future employers and landlords can see if a person has been charged and convicted of a crime. This means that the criminal convictions could prevent people from getting a job or apartment that they wanted to get and would have gotten if it were not for the criminal conviction. In many instances the criminal conviction was also a one-time mistake and is not a true indication of who the person is today.