Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker made the legalization of marijuana for recreational use a key part of his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, and he has made good on this election promise by supporting a bill that would allow adults over the age of 21 in the state to grow up to five plants in their homes or purchase the drug from licensed dispensaries. The measure was submitted to the Illinois General Assembly on May 7. The governor says that he hopes to be able to sign the bill into law by January 2020.
Bill introduced to legalize recreational marijuana in Illinois
Illinois traffic stop leads to methamphetamine seizure
A 23-year-old Illinois man faces decades in prison after police allegedly discovered about 7 ounces of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop during the early morning hours of Feb. 1. The West Chicago resident has been charged with possessing between 100 and 400 grams of the drug with the intent to deliver. This is a class X felony under Illinois law and carries a maximum custodial sentence of 40 years.
Illinois police find guns and bulletproof vests in drug raid
Police in Illinois seized weapons and bulletproof vests as well as illegal drugs when they searched a Countryside apartment on Dec. 4, according to Cook County prosecutors. A 36-year-old man is being held without bond in connection with the narcotics and firearms haul. In addition, a 32-year-old man taken into custody at the scene was released after posting a $30,000 bond. Both of the men face multiple felony charges. The 36-year-old man faces the prospect of a mandatory life sentence for being a habitual armed offender.
What to do if you are facing drug charges
If you have been charged with possession or delivery of cocaine in Illinois, you may be facing harsh penalties including fines, jail or prison time, community service and a felony conviction. The consequences of a drug charge can also have long-term effects on your career even after you have served your sentence.
Texas men convicted of cocaine trafficking in Myrtle Beach
Illinois readers may be interested to learn that two Texas men have been convicted of running a major drug-trafficking operation out of South Carolina. As a result, they could each be sentenced to life in prison.
Man sentenced to 35 years for drug trafficking
A 32-year-old man was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on Sept. 11 for using trains to smuggle drugs from California to Illinois. The defendant, a California resident, oversaw an operation that transported thousands of kilograms of heroin and cocaine between the states over a six-year period.
Police find drugs and bullets in suspicious vehicle
Police in Illinois say that reports of a suspicious vehicle in Joliet on the evening of Aug. 28 led to the discovery of heroin, cocaine, drug paraphernalia and a substantial quantity of 9mm handgun ammunition. A 24-year-old woman was taken into custody by officers at the scene. She was subsequently transported to a Will County detention facility on drug and weapons possession charges.
Illinois man sentenced to 12 years for cocaine possession
On July 26, an Illinois judge sentenced a 44-year-old man to 12 years in prison for dealing cocaine from his Montgomery home. The defendant was also ordered to pay a fine of $23,000.
Federal prosecutors charge 3 in Illinois with meth trafficking
A multi-agency investigation that included the Jacksonville Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service resulted in the arrest of 2 men and 1 woman in Jacksonville. All of them appeared in federal court, where the criminal complaint detailed their charges related to methamphetamine distribution.
3 charged after police stop alleged drug deal
On May 23, Illinois authorities took two men and a woman into custody after Aurora police suspected that a drug transaction was in process. The two men were identified as 21-year-old Aurora residents while the woman was identified as a 21-year-old Geneva resident. A second woman, age 19, was not charged.
