Nation-wide debate over the possibility of legalizing marijuana has arisen. However, the state of Illinois upholds all penalties and punishments for usage and possession of the drug. These offenses affect the convicted not only through jail or prison sentencing and fines but also through laws imposed on students and financial aid. Any student in the state of Illinois who is convicted for the sale of marijuana or any controlled substances, whether they are classified as a misdemeanor or felony lose all grants and student aid for two years for the first offense and indefinitely for their second conviction. Anyone facing drug charges needs to hire the Best Criminal Attorney in Chicago to represent them.
Penalties for Drug Possession in Illinois
Possession of marijuana in any form that measures more 2.5 grams is punishable by no more than $1,500 in fines and up to thirty days in jail; quantities of 2.5 to ten grams equal the same fines and no more than six months in county lock-up. A first-offense in which the convicted has ten to thirty grams result in a maximum of $2,500 in fines and a maximum of one year in jail; a second offense for this charge equates to a fine that is no more than $25,000 and up to three years in prison.
Any possession of cannabis where the quantity is more than thirty grams is classified as a felony in Illinois. The first felony conviction which is thirty to five-hundred grams renders a judgment of fine up to $25,000 and a one to three-year prison sentence for the first offense; a second offense holds the same fines yet the sentence increases to two to five years in prison. Attorney John Fitzgerald Lyke, Jr. can help fight these convictions.
The remaining felony classifications require the same maximum in fines, however, assign higher prison sentencing. Anyone convicted of possessing 2,000 to 5,000 grams of marijuana receive three to seven years in prison. Possession of any quantity that exceeds 5,000 grams renders a sentence of four to fifteen years. Some individuals who are convicted of felony drug charges in the state of Illinois may receive probation upon their release. Anyone who is facing a felony drug charge should consult the Best Criminal Attorney in Chicago to fight for an acquittal.
