Agents from the West Central Illinois Task Force have reported the arrest of two out-of-state people on drug charges after monitoring the 900 block of Jefferson in Quincy. They initiated a traffic stop of a 2007 Dodge Nitro driven by a 39-year-old woman for an unspecified traffic violation. Her male passenger, 37, ran away from the vehicle. Police pursued him on foot and captured him.
The police searched the man and woman and the vehicle and reported finding 50 grams of methamphetamine and oxycodone pills. Authorities in Adams County Circuit Court used this evidence to charge the man and woman with the Class X felonies of methamphetamine trafficking and possession. The alleged presence of oxycodone produced charges for them of unlawful possession and an intent to deliver the prescription painkiller, which represents a Class 2 felony.
Authorities are holding the woman on a $150,000 bond and the man on a $100,000 bond. The charge of methamphetamine trafficking could carry a prison sentence of 12 to 60 years.
When police arrest a person on drug charges, the criminal justice system typically assigns as many criminal charges as possible based on the evidence. The representation of a defense attorney could help someone develop a strategy for challenging criminal prosecution. Legal advice might also enable an individual to make an informed decision before entering a plea. An attorney might scrutinize the actions of law enforcement to see if they conducted a lawful search. Violations of the suspect’s rights could create an opportunity to ask for a reduction or dismissal of charges. Even when evidence remains valid, a lawyer might negotiate a plea deal that substitutes participation in a drug diversion program for a jail sentence.
Source: Herald-Whig, “Two arrested in Quincy on meth trafficking charges“, May 8, 2018
