Two women are facing serious charges following their arrest on Aug. 26, according to local sources. Illinois authorities apprehended the women, aged 53 and 26, each of whom now face a drug charge related to an alleged meth cooking operation. They were charged formally on Aug. 27 and were due in court as of Aug. 29.
According to a local undersheriff, authorities were notified of a possible methamphetamine cooking operation housed in a church in Hillsboro. An eyewitness claims he stopped by the church after seeing “suspicious activity.” Apparently, he saw two women flee the scene in a vehicle while in possession of what appeared to be meth-cooking equipment.
Deputies identified the vehicle and arrested the women. Officers were dispatched to the church where they apparently found what they believe to be a meth lab. During the course of its deconstruction, a small fire was started on church property but was quickly extinguished with no injuries. Each woman now faces a charge of participation in the manufacture of methamphetamine. They are being held on $200,000 and $100,000 bond, respectively, but no further information about their court appearance was available as of this report.
Illinois prosecutors will have to hit several marks in court in order to convict either of the accused women of the drug charge filed against each one. No details were provided in the report about the specifics of their arrest, so police will have to account for why these two women were pulled over. The defense might benefit from carefully reviewing the arrest record to determine whether each woman’s rights were observed throughout the process and to identify legal issues to address in court. A failure to observe due process could influence whether any evidence garnered will be considered admissible in court.
Source: nwherald.com, “Illinois women charged with cooking meth in church“, , Aug. 28, 2014