Felony Drug Crimes
If you are a parent of a young person with a heroin offense, the weight of that emotional distress can seem unbearable. There are countless questions that come up regarding both ends of the spectrum, from treatment to legal support. While the criminal justice system is set up to punish for criminal acts, there are several other options available.
At KRV Legal, we are dedicated to not only defending clients with a heroin offense, but to carry out our practices in ways that will best help our clients get the assistance they need in order to have the best chance of rehabilitation for a normal, healthy life. If your teen or young adult has been charged with a felony drug crime, it is vital to hire an experienced local criminal defense attorney to provide both outstanding legal representation and genuine care to promote the best possible outcome for his or her future.
We only take criminal defense cases in McHenry County and Lake County. With more than a decade we have spent in these counties, we are passionate about working to get the very best results in all manners of felony cases. In addition, we are involved in the specialty courts, and work with various kinds of probation options and always seek the best results for our client in his or her specific case.
Another area we are also actively involved in, is the Lake County Opioid Initiative and the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition where we work with law enforcement, treatment providers and prosecutors to yet further our goal of education, prevention and intervention. Also, we believe that addicts need treatment, not prison.
McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
- 6 out of 10 drug overdose deaths involved opioids. -CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- In 2014, there were 28,647 opioid overdose deaths in the U.S., an increase of 14% compared to 2013 data.
- In addition, heroin-related death rates increased 26% from 2013-2014 in the U.S., totaling 10,574 deaths in 2014.
- Primarily in the Midwest, Northeast, and increasing in the South, heroin may also be cut with illicit fentanyl—with or without the user’s knowledge—in order to increase its effect. As a result, over eighty percent of fentanyl drug confiscations in 2014 were concentrated in 10 states in these regions.
- Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids such as illicitly-made fentanyl, increased by 80% from 2013–2014. As much as 5,500 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2014 in the U.S.
- Yet, past misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers is the strongest risk factor for heroin initiation and use. Increased availability, reduced price, and high purity of heroin seem to be the major factors in the recent increase in heroin use.
Lake County Heroin Statistics
- From 2011-2015, 69 Lake County residents have died due to heroin and other opiates – doubling in just 5 years.
- 75% of opioid addiction disease patients switch to heroin as a cheaper source
- 4 in 5 new heroin users started out misusing prescriptions, this caused the rate of heroin overdose deaths to nearly quadrupled from 2000-2013
- According to the Lake County Coroner’s Office, this year 11 deaths have occurred that involve heroin, surpassing the number of deaths in the same category from May 2012. Three overdose deaths resulted from a combination of heroin and cocaine in 2013.
- Since Naloxone has been adopted by Lake County first responder’s there have been quite a few saves: 82 Total Lives Saved – In 2016, 36 Saves to Date
Additional Resources:
McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
Addiction Treatment Services for Lake County and Surrounding Counties
Effective Addiction Treatment – NY Times Blog
Lake County Opioid Initiative
Call (815) 444-8700 to obtain a free confidential case evaluation from an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
See more at: https://krvlegal.com/areas-of-practice/criminal-felony/