When a person is charged with Cannabis Trafficking in Madison County, Illinois the judge typically sets bond between $300,000 to $150,000. This results in the defendant having to post 10% of the full amount in order to secure release from custody. Most people can't post that amount. The nature of the cannabis trafficking charge is very serious. It is called a class X felony that will result in between 6-30 years in prison upon conviction. There is no possibility of probation as a setence to these charges. The serious nature of the offense creates high initial bond amounts.
Upon being retained I begin to work on reducing the bond to an amount that is lower and hopefully one that the client's family and friends can post. Many times i can obtain an agreement from the State reducing bond to between $5,000 to $9,000. Not all cases will obtain reduced bond amounts. In cases where the State will not agree to such a reduction, a bond reduction motion must be attempted. The ultimate call in those situations whether to reduce the bond and to what amount is completely up to the judge. Most times the judge will look to the defendant's past criminal history, status as a citizen, state of residence, whether any aggravating facts are relevant (i.e. possession of a firearm), and other work and eduction related factors. After argument is presented from both sides the judge creates an order either granting or denying the motion.
An attorney in county who the judge is familiar with has a far greater chance of reducing bond as that attorney knows exactly what facts the individual judge wants to address during the hearing. As an example, our judges entertain these types of motions from out of county attorneys who don't routinely practice befor them. Those attorneys oftentimes take too aggressive of an approach with the judges in the mistaken belief that their demeanor will favorably influence the judge. Most times they fail. I believe that my experience before each judge has created the idea that I will not present facts that I believe to be untrue to them. This translates into a higher percentage of bond reductions.
If you are charged with cannabis trafficking contact a qualified and experienced attorney immediately.