Simply having an illegal substance in your possession is not enough to sustain a conviction for drug possession or any other drug crime. According to Illinois law, it is only a crime to “knowingly possess a controlled substance.” This means that if you were unaware there was an illegal drug in your car, house, or the pocket of the hoodie you were returning to a friend, you should not be convicted of a crime. However, criminal courts are often reluctant to believe a defendant who denies any knowledge of the drugs found in his or her possession – many people make this claim. Your Joliet, IL drug crimes attorney will need to offer evidence to substantiate your defense. It is all too easy for an innocent person to be convicted of drug possession based on assumptions rather than evidence.
