Need help from someone who knows laws in the Chicago area

I'm from Cleveland, but I was in Rosemont on Monday to see The Dead. When I was there, I ended up getting pulled over in Elk Grove Village. Long story short, I have a possesion charge and paraphernalia charge.

anyone know what I'm likely facing?
I've read on NORML that marijuana fines alone there are $1,500.
and is it likely they'll put me on probation, even though I live out of state?

 

My brother got a possesion charge a year ago about and he recieved a $300 ticket, some community service (not much) and 9 months of probation. It is different for everyone. Sorry to hear that though

 

depends how much.
u will get probation.
pigs here dont play.

 

As above, pigs here don't play. Tough luck, man. Don't resist, though. Be super nice, but not to the extent that they think you're joking.

 

Dude, I was at the Dead Show too, and I have an even worse story! I mean, I didn't get arrested, but I missed the entire show. The Allstate Area is full of fascists. Here's my story if you're interested. I am on several medications, for bipolar disorder, pain, anxiety, and digestive disorders. They make my pupils itty bitty. I showed up at the show, they took my ticket, and before I could even get to security, five people accosted me saying that I was high, basing their judgment on my constricted pupil size. They surrounded me and just started grabbing at my pockets expecting to find ecstasy or heroin. They didn't find any, because I didn't have any. They brought me to the Arena infirmary, where they shoved me around and yelled at me. Then they called an ambulance, telling the EMTs that I had overdosed on heroin, even though I was walking and talking normally. Then I went to the hospital, where they tested my blood, which showed negative for drugs, and kept me in the hospital until the end of the show. Luckily, they didn't give me any medications to reverse my alleged overdose, but still. I paid good money for that ticket and missed the whole show. My boyfriend saw them take me away and tried to follow me. He missed all but the last 30 minutes of the show trying to figure out what they were doing with me. They told him that they were arresting me. He expected that I would be in jail by the time he got back to the hotel, even though he knew as well as I did that I didn't have any drugs on me. While in the hospital, they started a saline IV in a vein on the top of my hand. Apparently, they hit a nerve with the needle or something, because my whole hand was completely numb for weeks. Now I have most feeling back except in the tip of my pinky finger. I guess all of that is still better than jail, but shit. Fucked up story, eh?

Anyway, as for your question. I have been arrested for drug-related offenses in Illinois a few times. I believe Elk Grove is in Cook County, so you lucked out in that regard. Suburban counties are a lot tougher. Paraphanelia is a misdemeanor. And you're from another state, so they won't care quite as much if you have prior drug offenses elsewhere. I assume that you just got a citation and a court date? Or did you go to jail and have to bond out? (If they let you use your signature as bond, that still counts.) Either way, you just have to show up for court if you don't want them to issue a warrant. For misdemeanors, warrants are not really that big of a deal. I have one in California and one in Nevada right now. They don't even show up in the computers when cops run my name. One time, I was in CA and had an Illinois misdemeanor warrant show up, but it showed up as "non-extraditble." So the cops couldn't even take me in on it. So if you want to just blow it off, you will be cool as long as you are not in Illinois. But if you do go to court, if it's a first offense and they are feeling lenient, you may just be fined. Otherwise, a short probation term that they will transfer to where you live. Or you could even get court probation, meaning you don't have to report or anything; you just have to not get arrested again for the duration of the sentence.