Illinois Juvenile Drug Possession Charges

 Posted on June 13, 2016 in Drug Charges

Teens get into all kinds of trouble with the law, largely as a result of not exercising the best judgement when making decisions. Many teens get into trouble for having drugs or controlled substances in their possession illegally. A teen might snatch a couple pills out of his or her dad’s oxycontin prescription, or a teen might hold a joint for a friend. Whatever the case might be, when juveniles get caught with drugs or other controlled substances, they can be charged with juvenile drug possession. Juvenile drug possession is a serious crime, and a conviction can have have long-lasting consequences on the teen’s life down the road.

Knowledge and Control

In order for a juvenile to be convicted of juvenile drug possession, the teen must know that he or shehad the drug in his or herpossession, and must have had control over the drug. The knowledge requirement is established when the teen knew that he or shehad the drugs, and knew that they were drugs. If a teen had the substance in his or herpossession, but reasonably believed that it was something other than a drug, then there cannot be a conviction for juvenile drug possession.

The control requirement is established if the teen had control over the drug in his or herpossession, or control over the area where the drug was found. For instance, drugs found on a teen in his or herpocket would establish the control element of juvenile drug possession. Similarly, drugs found in ateen’s backpack or in the trunk of ateen’s car would also likely satisfy the control requirement, presuming that the search that uncovered the drugs, and the seizure were both legally conducted.

Your Child’s Defenses to Juvenile Drug Possession

If your teen has been charged with juvenile drug possession, it is important that you consult with an experienced juvenile drug charges lawyer as soon as possible. It is critically important to your teen’s future that his or herbest possible defense be made against the drug charges. There are a number of different defense strategies and which is best for your teen will depend on the specific circumstances surrounding his or her alleged crime and arrest. Common drug possession defenses include:

• Lack of knowledge that the drug was actually a drug;
• Lack of knowledge that the drug or controlled substance was in his or her possession;
• The child was too young to understand what he or she wasdoing in possession of a drug;
• The teen has a legitimate prescription for the controlled substance found in his or herpossession; or
• The teen was under duress to hold the drugs for someone else.

It is imperative that your child’s best defenses be raised in an effort to have the charges dropped or reduced.

When Your Teen Needs Legal Representation

If your teen has been caught with drugs and is facing juvenile drug possession charges, you should seek legal representation from an experienced Rolling Meadows juvenile crime attorneyimmediately. Contact us today for assistance.

Source:

https://www.iwu.edu/ccs/Illinois_Drug_Laws.htm