Felony / Drug Offenses

Felony

A felony is the most serious type of crime prosecuted by the DeKalb County State’s Attorney. In general, a felony conviction in Illinois carries a potential penalty of a sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The long-term impact of committing a felony on the life of the criminal as well as the damage to society caused by the crime itself should act as a deterrent to anyone even contemplating such a serious violation of the law.

Drug Offenses

Since drug abuse has a negative impact on all aspects of society and frequently is the cause of other types of crime, the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office has dedicated resources to fighting narcotics offenses. The State’s Attorney’s Office participates in the DeKalb County Drug Court which provides an effective way of dealing with non-violent drug offenders.

Given the fact that drug arrests across the State of Illinois Increased 23 percent between 1995 and 2005 while arrests for all other felonies declined, drug abuse and all the crimes associated within remain a serious and growing problem. This is especially true in downstate Illinois where the rate of drug arrests grew by 46 percent. Increased awareness by the community and greater enforcement of existing laws is the only way to curb the growing incidence of these serious crimes.