Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Drug Crime Attorney Fred Dry
Designer drugs refer to any types of drugs created in a laboratory, and the term includes illicit substances such as MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine, GHB, Rohypnol (roofies), LSD (acid), bath salts, and methamphetamine. These types of drugs are often made in a lab, a loosely used term that can include everything from professional labs to ad hoc setups in a basement or garage, and they hold a high potential for abuse, death, psychological injury, and a myriad of other health problems. For these reasons, among many others, the State of Illinois upholds harsh penalties for people found in possession of designer drugs, and anyone associated with the manufacture, traffic, sale, and possession of these drugs are used as scapegoats to get designer drugs off the streets once and for all.These types of drugs are often made in a lab, a loosely used term that can include everything from professional labs to ad hoc setups in a basement or garage, and they hold a high potential for abuse, death, psychological injury, and a myriad of other health problems. For these reasons, among many others, the State of Illinois upholds harsh penalties for people found in possession of designer drugs, and anyone associated with the manufacture, traffic, sale, and possession of these drugs are used as scapegoats to get designer drugs off the streets once and for all.
If you or someone you know has been arrested or is under investigation, you need a Chicago designer drugs attorney who understands that extensive penalties and fines do not solve the designer drug problem in Chicago. At the law office of Fred Mark Dry, we’ve seen how illegal searches and seizures have violated clients’ Fourth Amendment rights and how police and prosecutors use intimidating interrogation techniques to produce false confessions.
Attorney Dry is therefore dedicated to fighting aggressively for your rights and making sure your innocence is upheld if you were arrested on false charges; we’ll make sure your sentence is accurate and fair, and that you aren’t a victim of engorged mandatory sentencing policies. Don’t wait, and hire Chicago Attorney Fred Mark Dry today for a comprehensive, aggressive defense.
Types of Designer Drug Offenses
The drugs most commonly found under the designer drugs umbrella (MDMA, ketamine, GHB, Rohypnol, LSD, bath salts, and methamphetamine) are all illegal to possess, manufacturer, traffic, and deliver, and aside from Rohypnol, many of these drugs are Schedule I substances. Rohypnol is classed with other benzodiazepines as a Schedule IV substance; however, it is not approved for sale in the US, and because it is associated with drug-facilitated sexual assault, importation and distribution of Rohypnol carries many of the same penalties as Schedule I substances.
Because designer drugs are synthesized from various chemicals, new substances arrive on the streets often. Therefore, recent synthetic drugs have little or no published research that informs the illegality, and many such drugs are known as “legal highs” before evidence can render them illegal in state courts. For example, synthetic marijuana (known by names such as “spice” or “K2”) is illegal in Illinois, and those caught possessing synthetic marijuana could be subject to a Class 4 felony. Also, synthetic heroin substances such as Suboxone and Dilaudid can render significant penalties if caught illegally possessing them.
Because of the wide variety in this field, one of Attorney Dry’s central goals is to make sure that the charges brought against you are accurate and fall under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act (720 ILCS 570/) or other associated statutes. Attorney Dry will also make sure that any and all evidence brought against you was legally and Constitutionally obtained. Despite Illinois laws, the judge makes the final determination in your sentencing, and having an experienced and dedicated attorney who understands the full scope of designer drug offenses can help you obtain more generous sentences if convicted.
Potential Penalties for Designer Drug Crimes
The different types of designer drug crimes include possession, sale, manufacture, trafficking, and possession with intent to sell, each of which carries its own diverse set of potential sentencings. Following are just a few of the potential sentences for designer drug crimes:
- Trafficking less than 10 grams of PCP, LSD, GHB, methamphetamine, or any amount of other Schedule I or II substances: $1/5 million in fines and up to 20 years imprisonment
- Possession of <15 grams or objects of LSD: Class 4 felony punishable by up to $25,000 in fines and 1 to 3 years imprisonment
- Possession of <5 grams of methamphetamine: Class 3 felony punishable by up to $25,000 in fines and 2 to 5 years imprisonment
- Possession of over 30 grams of any substance containing ketamine: Class 1 felony punishable by up to $200,000 in fines and 4 to 15 years imprisonment
- Manufacture, sale, or possession with intent to sell of less than 15 grams or objects most Schedule I or II substances: Class 1 felony punishable by up to $250,000 in fines and 4 to 15 years imprisonment.
How a Chicago Designer Drugs Attorney Can Help You
Penalties for designer drug crimes highly depend on the drug, circumstances surrounding the arrest, and many other factors. Likewise, it is important to note that terms such as “possession” and “intent to sell” are broadly defined, whereas you could be charged with possession if a friend left MDMA in your car, for example. Intent to sell charges often arise if the offender was caught with a large amount of a drug, even though the drug was solely for personal use. Also, as laws around synthetic drugs become more defined, it is likely that prosecutors will seek increasingly harsher sentences.
This is an emerging area of law, and if convicted or under investigation, Attorney Dry is there to represent your interests and protect your rights. With over 35 years of experience defending Chicago clients as well as those from Cook, DuPage, and Will counties, Attorney Fred Mark Dry has the resources and knowledge of designer drug laws to successfully fight for a reduced sentence, alternative sentence, or a case dismissal. Call designer drug attorney Fred Dry today for a free consultation.