A Macon County Circuit Court judge has recently ruled that all evidence that had been seized from Keith Halliburton's property as part of a drug bust is inadmissible in trial. The evidence consists of 27 pounds of cannabis and another half-pound of cocaine, amounts that could have led to up to 90 years of imprisonment if convicted. Johnson Law Group, representing Halliburton, successfully argued, however, that the evidence was collected in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Decatur-area police claimed to have suspected Halliburton as a drug dealer in Illinois and intercepted packaged inbound to him. Detectives obtained an anticipatory search warrant that permitted them to search and seize Halliburton's property as soon as he opened a particular, marked package that contained illicit drugs. The problem? Halliburton was arrested and his property was taken before he even opened the package. Our Peoria drug crime attorneys argued that this created a glaring absence of probable cause, and violated his right against unreasonable searches and seizures.
While the judge agreed with our statements and threw out the evidence, the prosecution did not. It is believed that the prosecution will attempt to appeal the judge's verdict. If not, the case will need to be dismissed, as there is no longer any evidence to use against Halliburton. Additionally, we will soon discuss his release from custody and attempt to have that arranged in another hearing.
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If you need dedicated legal counsel for a case of your own in Illinois, contact Johnson Law Group and our drug crime lawyers in Peoria IL today. You can also call (309) 565-8825 to schedule a free consultation.