Cheronis & Parente LLC

Criminal Defense Blog

ON BEHALF OF CHERONIS & PARENTE LLC   /   March 15, 2016

Defense tactics when facing drug charges

There are a handful of ways that you can defend yourself when facing drug charges in Illinois. Obviously, the tactic that you use depends on the situation, but a few examples are listed below, and it’s wise to understand how they work.

Illegal Search

First of all, even if you admit that drugs were found in your possession, you may be able to get the charges dropped if the search was illegal. For example, if police searched your apartment without a warrant, the evidence could be thrown out, meaning they won’t have a case.

Ownership Disputes

The drugs may not even be yours in the first place. You could show that you didn’t know you had them. For instance, if a friend asked you to hold a backpack for him and there were drugs in it, you could be arrested even though your friend never told you about the drugs and you never intended to break the law.

Coercion

Similarly, you could use coercion as a defense if you were forced to carry the drugs even though you did not want to do so. For example, if someone threatened your family or pulled a gun on you, intimidating you into breaking the law, you may be able to defend yourself by showing that you acted against your own desires to protect yourself or those you love.

Medical Marijuana

You may have obtained the marijuana legally, for medical purposes, which is allowed under Illinois state laws.

If you’re facing charges, be sure to look into all of your defense options so that you know how to proceed.

Source: FindLaw, “Drug Charges,” accessed March 15, 2016

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