Caught with Coke: How Much Money Will it Cost You?

In Ilinois, and in most every other jurisdiction, getting caught with even a minute amount of cocaine - even less than a .1 of a gram - is a felony. Even in the few jurisdictions where possession of a small amount of cocaine is only a serious misdemeanor, getting caught with it is shockingly expensive. Putting aside for a moment the usual possible jail penalties (in Illinois it's jail for up to 90 actual days or prison for up to an actual 365 days), lets just look at the financial cost of getting caught with .1 of a gram of cocaine. We will use Illinois where I was a former prosecutor as an example and we will assume that the person caught is a first offender placed on 18 months probation.

As a convicted felon, you will have to register with the State Police's DNA data base, cost ----$200.00
You will have to pay the court costs of your case, cost --- $670.00
You are on probation for 18 months. You have to pay a $25 per month probation fee, cost --- $450.00
You will pay a stautory Violent Crime Victims Assistance Fune fee, cost --- $35.00
You pay a Medical Fund fee, cost --- $15.00
Pay a Crimestoppers Fund fee, cost --- $35.00
Mandatory Drug Treatment Account Fund fee, cost --- $500.00
Lab testing fee(for your .1 gram of cocaine), cost --- $100.00
The drug's street value fine, minimum cost --- $20.00
Spinal Cord Research Fund fee, cost --- $5.00
Hospital Trauma Center fund, cost $100.00
Random drug testing by urinalysis during probation, cost --- $100.00
Drug abuse evaluation, cost --- $125.00
Drug abuse treatment, cost --- $1500.00
Sheriff's fee $16.00

By Illinois statute, you could also be fined up to an additional $25,000, and your car, if one was involved, could be subjected to forfeiture proceedings by the state.

All tolled, without adding in the cost of the your car that the state could try and seize or the fine of up to $25,000, you are looking at a grand total of $3,271.00. That does not take into account the cost of your attorney. In Illinois and in most all states, since the possible penalties potentially involve prison time, an attorney is mandatory by law. Two things about the the Public Defender. The court will not appoint a Public Delender for you unless you can show you are indigent. Secondly, even if you are appointed the Public Defender you will have to pay back the reasonable cost of their services, cost---$500.00

So if you are caught with even the smallest amount of cocaine you will be at a minimum looking at a final bill of $3,271.00. For most people, those who do not get the Public Defender, the bill will eventually be over $5,000.00 with attorneys fees and could easily run to double that amount. These are minimum amounts.