East St. Louis Drug Distribution Lawyer

Drug Distribution Attorney in East St. Louis, IL

If you are under investigation for or have been charged with drug delivery or distribution in the Metro East, an East St. Louis drug distribution lawyer can help you preserve your rights from the very beginning. The authorities treat drug distribution allegations seriously, and there can be steep consequences for even small quantities. The sooner you talk to an experienced East St. Louis drug crime lawyer, the better your chances of protecting your future.

About Us

East St. Louis drug crime lawyer Jessica Koester is a former prosecutor with decades of combined courtroom experience. The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC has a sharp eye for case analysis and is dedicated to vigorously protecting your rights. When you are facing felony charges that could send you to prison, it is critically important to have an experienced East St. Louis defense attorney on your side. You can count on our team to fight for the greatest possible outcome.

Drug Distribution Laws Explained

Drug distribution charges in East St. Louis that involve manufacturing, delivery, sale, or attempted transfer of a controlled substance to another individual. Distribution cases are different from simple possession cases in that the amount of drugs or profit involved is not at issue.

Instead, drug delivery as defined by the statute can also occur when you simply give drugs to another person without exchanging money or another drug for it, attempt to transfer drugs to another person, or possess a controlled substance with the intent to transfer it to another individual.

Because the crime of possession with intent to deliver is defined by a person’s alleged intent, circumstantial evidence is often used to infer distribution or delivery. Prosecutors can and will look at evidence such as the type and amount of drugs, packaging materials found at the scene, communications, and even your own actions and statements during an arrest to try to support distribution allegations.

Why Legal Support Is Important

This means it’s common for individuals to face these charges, even when a sale never took place. That is why you need an experienced East St. Louis drug distribution attorney to challenge how the authorities gathered, preserved, and interpreted the evidence.

Examples of Drug Distribution Cases

In 2020, the state had a total of 36,861 drug arrests, which included 8,528 related to cannabis and 17,425 related to controlled substances. Distribution charges are frequently the result of conduct that can appear quite innocent at first glance. Some common examples of activities that can result in these charges include:

• Handing a drug to another person, even if it was not sold
• Attempting to transfer drugs to someone else
• Possession of large quantities of drugs that are packaged for distribution
• Trading drugs for goods, favors, or services
• Talking to someone about a future drug sale or transfer, Illinois does not require money to change hands for an offense to qualify as “delivery.”

Drug distribution charges can result from simply sharing a controlled substance with someone else. It is important to note that in Illinois, courts and prosecutors have broad discretion to draw inferences about intent and alleged actions.

Hire a Drug Distribution Lawyer With The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC Today

Hire a drug distribution lawyer right away if you are charged, as acting early is one of the most powerful advantages you can give yourself. The days immediately following an arrest are when your attorney can intervene most effectively.

An experienced East St. Louis drug distribution attorney can communicate with investigators, work to protect your rights, and launch an early review of your case to determine whether constitutional violations occurred. Contact us today to get started.