10 Best Drug Crime Lawyers in Belleville, IL

This guide compares 10 criminal defense firms that handle drug charges in Belleville and the surrounding Metro East, including St. Clair and Madison Counties. Each firm was evaluated on how central criminal defense is to its practice (a criminal-only firm versus a general practice that takes drug cases), its experience with the full range of drug charges from possession to delivery, trafficking and drug-induced homicide, whether its attorneys have worked as prosecutors or public defenders, its experience in federal court in the Southern District of Illinois, and how close its office sits to the St. Clair County Courthouse in downtown Belleville.

When comparing options, three questions matter most. Does the attorney appear regularly in St. Clair County courtrooms and, if the case could go federal, in the U.S. District Court in East St. Louis? Do they have first-hand knowledge of how drug cases are built, including search warrants, traffic stops, lab testing and informant testimony? And do they handle the alternatives that can keep a conviction off your record, such as drug court, TASC probation, first-offender probation and later expungement or sealing? This list is not ranked and is not sponsored. Firm details come from each firm’s own website, its Google Business Profile, and attorney directories including Super Lawyers and Avvo.

Quick View: Top 3 Drug Crime Lawyers in Belleville, IL

1. The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jessica J. Koester, Founder
• Headquarters: 100 N Main St, 2nd Floor, Suite 1, Edwardsville, IL 62025
• Phone: (618) 692-4900
• Website: koester-law.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Crimes (Possession, Distribution and Trafficking, Manufacturing, Drug-Induced Homicide, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Marijuana, Prescription Drugs, Federal Drug Crimes), Gun Crimes, Federal Fraud, Sex Crimes, Murder, Battery and Assault, Domestic Violence, DUI and Traffic, Juvenile Law
• Firm Size: Boutique firm practicing criminal defense exclusively, in state and federal court
• Practice Area Page: Belleville Drug Crime Lawyer
• Social Profiles: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Super Lawyers

About the Firm: Jessica J. Koester founded her firm to practice criminal defense and nothing else, and she defends drug cases across St. Clair, Madison and Bond Counties, including Belleville, O’Fallon, Collinsville and East St. Louis. She is an experienced trial attorney who handles drug charges in both Illinois state courts and federal court, which matters in the Metro East, where larger distribution and conspiracy investigations are often brought federally.

The firm’s drug practice covers the most serious charges in this area of law: drug-induced homicide, manufacturing, distribution and trafficking, along with heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drug cases. A core part of its approach is challenging how the evidence was gathered, filing Fourth Amendment motions to suppress drugs found through an unlawful search or seizure. The firm offers free consultations and answers calls 24/7.

2. Madelyn Daley & Associates

• Attorney/Key Figure: Madelyn J. Daley, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 103 W Main St, Belleville, IL 62220
• Phone: (618) 233-8885
• Website: ilcriminallawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Charges (Possession, Distribution, Manufacturing, Trafficking, Methamphetamine, Marijuana, Cocaine and Crack Cocaine, Heroin, Prescription Medication), DUI, Violent Crimes, Misdemeanors and Felonies
• Firm Size: Boutique criminal-defense-only firm with three attorneys

About the Firm: Madelyn J. Daley has more than 20 years of experience defending people charged with misdemeanor and felony drug offenses in Illinois, and criminal defense is the only area of law her firm handles. Her office on West Main Street is a short walk from the St. Clair County Courthouse on the Public Square.

The firm handles drug cases from simple possession through manufacturing and trafficking, covering methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and prescription drug charges in St. Clair County and the surrounding Southern Illinois counties. Attorneys Grant Menges and Calley R. Mize round out the team. Online client reviews are more mixed than for some firms on this list, so ask during the consultation which attorney will handle your case day to day.

3. The Conner Law Firm, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Erin K. Conner, Founder
• Headquarters: 5111 W Main St, Belleville, IL 62226
• Phone: (618) 277-2421
• Website: theconnerlawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Crimes (Possession, Intent to Deliver or Manufacture, Drug-Induced Homicide, Drug-Free Zone Enhancements, Cannabis Charges and Drug DUI, Drug Court and TASC Alternatives, Expungement), DUI, Violent Crimes, Sex Crimes, Appeals, Juvenile Law
• Firm Size: Boutique criminal defense firm; 50+ criminal cases tried to verdict

About the Firm: Erin K. Conner is a former prosecutor who has been licensed in Illinois since 2011 and has worked on both sides of criminal cases. She has tried more than 50 criminal cases to verdict, and her firm serves St. Clair, Madison and Monroe Counties.

Her drug practice page is unusually specific about Illinois law, addressing possession under 720 ILCS 570/402, intent to deliver or manufacture under 570/401, drug-free zone enhancements and drug-induced homicide. It also covers the alternatives that can keep a first or low-level offense from becoming a conviction, including drug court, TASC and Second Chance Probation, plus expungement afterward. As a solo-led firm, it has less bench depth than the multi-attorney firms here, but clients work directly with the trial attorney.

4. Combs Waterkotte

• Attorney/Key Figure: Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte, Founding Partners
• Headquarters: 12 Wolf Creek Dr, Suite 100, Belleville, IL 62226 (by appointment; additional offices in Chicago, St. Louis, Clayton, Kansas City and Camden County, MO)
• Phone: (618) 882-7463
• Website: combswaterkotte.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Crimes (Possession, Intent to Deliver, Manufacture or Delivery, Trafficking, Conspiracy, Methamphetamine, Prescription Drug Fraud, Paraphernalia, Cannabis), Federal Drug and Conspiracy Defense, DUI, Violent Crimes, Federal Felonies
• Firm Size: Large multi-state criminal defense firm; reports more than 100 years of combined legal experience, including former prosecutors and an in-house investigator

About the Firm: Combs Waterkotte is a large criminal defense firm based in St. Louis with a Southern Illinois office in Belleville. Its team includes former prosecutors and a dedicated investigator, and its federal practice covers drug trafficking, conspiracy and Continuing Criminal Enterprise cases in the Southern District of Illinois, with appeals to the Seventh Circuit.

The firm’s federal drug defense centers on reviewing DEA, HSI and postal investigations, including wiretaps, warrants and surveillance, as well as contesting drug quantity and purity and arguing for safety-valve relief at sentencing. The trade-off is scale: the Belleville office is by appointment only, and clients of a large multi-office firm may work with more than one attorney over the life of a case.

5. Law Office of Grant T. Menges

• Attorney/Key Figure: Grant T. Menges, Founder
• Headquarters: 103 W Main St, Belleville, IL 62220
• Phone: (618) 250-6322
• Website: 618criminaldefense.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Charges (Possession through Intent to Distribute, Search and Seizure Challenges), DUI, Firearm Offenses, Robbery, Murder and Serious Felonies, Domestic Battery, Theft, White-Collar Crimes
• Firm Size: Solo criminal defense practice

About the Firm: Grant T. Menges is the former Chief of Litigation at the St. Clair County Public Defender’s Office, a role that put him in Belleville courtrooms on a heavy felony caseload, drug cases included. That background gives him detailed knowledge of how local judges and prosecutors handle drug charges and what plea and diversion options are realistic.

His drug defense practice runs from simple possession to intent to distribute and focuses closely on search and seizure procedure, which is often where drug cases are won or lost. As a solo practice, the firm has a small public review history so far, and there is no second attorney to cover if scheduling conflicts arise.

6. Law Office of Michael J. Rousseau

• Attorney/Key Figure: Michael J. Rousseau, Attorney
• Headquarters: 1 S Church St, Suite 500, Belleville, IL 62220
• Phone: (618) 207-4670
• Website: mikerousseaulaw.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Crimes, DUI, Assault and Battery, Domestic Violence, Weapons Offenses, Federal Criminal Law, Probation Violations, Warrants, Traffic, Juvenile, Personal Injury, Family Law, Real Estate
• Firm Size: Small practice led by one attorney with about 25 years of experience

About the Firm: Michael J. Rousseau began his career as an assistant prosecutor and later worked as a public defender in the county criminal courts, so he has handled drug cases from both the charging side and the defense side. He has about 25 years of experience and practices from an office on South Church Street, steps from the St. Clair County Courthouse.

His criminal practice covers drug offenses, probation violations, warrants and federal criminal matters, and the firm offers free initial consultations. The trade-off is focus: the office also handles personal injury, family law and real estate, so drug defense is one part of a broader general practice.

7. Law Office of Van-Lear P. Eckert, PC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Van-Lear P. Eckert, Founder
• Headquarters: 103 W Main St, Belleville, IL 62220
• Phone: (618) 233-8800
• Website: vpelaw.com
• Practice Areas: Felony Drug Possession (Cocaine, Heroin, Ecstasy and Other Controlled Substances), Marijuana Possession, Felonies and Misdemeanors, Family Law, Business Litigation
• Firm Size: Small Belleville general practice firm

About the Firm: Van-Lear P. Eckert’s firm handles felony drug possession cases involving cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and other controlled substances, along with misdemeanor marijuana charges, from a downtown Belleville office near the courthouse.

The firm’s mix of criminal, family and business litigation work can be useful when a drug charge spills into other parts of a client’s life, such as a custody dispute or professional consequences. That breadth is also the trade-off: firms that practice only criminal defense will usually have deeper experience with complex distribution and trafficking cases.

8. Courtney Clark Law, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Charles W. Courtney Jr., Attorney
• Headquarters: 104 S Charles St, Belleville, IL 62220
• Phone: (618) 233-5900
• Website: courtneyclarklaw.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Possession, Drug Sale, Drug Trafficking, Drug Conspiracy, Marijuana and Cocaine Charges, Criminal Defense, Family Law
• Firm Size: Multi-attorney Belleville firm with decades of combined experience

About the Firm: Courtney Clark Law is an established Belleville firm whose criminal defense attorneys handle drug possession, sale, trafficking and conspiracy charges, including marijuana and cocaine cases, in St. Clair County courts.

The firm’s multi-attorney structure means coverage when a case requires several court appearances or a lawyer is in trial elsewhere. Much of the firm’s work and many of its client reviews center on family law, so drug defendants should ask which attorney concentrates on criminal cases.

9. Stobbs Law Office

• Attorney/Key Figure: John D. Stobbs II, Attorney
• Headquarters: 307 Henry St, Suite 211, Alton, IL 62002
• Phone: (618) 462-8484
• Website: stobbslaw.com
• Practice Areas: Federal Drug Crimes (Southern District of Illinois and Eastern District of Missouri), State Drug Charges, Gun Crimes, Sex Crimes, White-Collar and Tax Fraud, Mail and Wire Fraud, Grand Jury Subpoenas, Bank Robbery
• Firm Size: Solo practice; more than 1,000 federal criminal cases handled in St. Louis and East St. Louis

About the Firm: John D. Stobbs II has been licensed in Illinois since 1991 and has spent about 25 years as a criminal defense attorney, handling more than 1,000 federal criminal cases in the federal courthouses in St. Louis and East St. Louis. He has held an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell for over a decade, has been selected to Super Lawyers from 2016 through 2027, and served as the Criminal Justice Act Panel Representative for the Eastern District of Missouri.

For a Belleville resident facing a federal drug indictment in East St. Louis, that federal caseload is the main draw. He has also served on panels for selecting magistrate judges and on retention committees for the Federal Public Defenders in both districts, and he speaks fluent Spanish. The trade-off is distance: his office is in Alton, well north of Belleville in Madison County, and his state-court work centers on Madison County rather than St. Clair County.

10. The Law Office of Dillon Borri, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Dillon Borri, Founder
• Headquarters: 1 Design Mesa, Collinsville, IL 62234
• Phone: (618) 213-2312
• Website: dillonborrilaw.com
• Practice Areas: Drug Crimes (Possession, Cannabis Over Legal Limits, Intent to Deliver, Manufacturing and Cultivation, Paraphernalia, Prescription Fraud, Illegal Cannabis Transport, Meth Precursors, School Zone Enhancements), DUI, Traffic, Record Sealing
• Firm Size: Solo criminal defense and DUI practice

About the Firm: Dillon Borri runs a criminal defense and DUI practice in Collinsville and handles drug cases in both Madison and St. Clair County courts. His drug practice page covers charges that are specific to Illinois’s post-legalization landscape, such as possessing cannabis over the legal limit and illegally transporting cannabis in a vehicle, along with meth precursor and school zone cases.

The firm answers calls 24/7, and record sealing is part of its practice, which helps clients deal with the long-term effects of an older drug arrest. As a newer solo practice based outside Belleville, it has a smaller track record in St. Clair County than the downtown Belleville firms on this list.

Belleville, IL Drug Crime Lawyers Resources 

1. St. Clair County Circuit Clerk: Look up court dates for criminal cases, find court forms, eFile and pay fines. The office is at 10 Public Square in Belleville and can be reached at (618) 277-6600. Court dates are often reset, so check the docket before each appearance.
2. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois: The federal court that hears drug cases charged federally in the Metro East, at the Melvin Price Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in East St. Louis. Case filings can be searched through PACER.
3. Illinois Courts: Expungement and Sealing Forms: Statewide forms approved by the Illinois Supreme Court for expunging or sealing adult records, along with separate forms for vacating eligible cannabis convictions. Every Illinois circuit court must accept them.
4. Illinois Legal Aid Online: Expunging or Sealing a Criminal Record: A nonprofit guide explaining which drug arrests and convictions may qualify for expungement or sealing, with a free guided interview that fills out the court forms.
5. SAMHSA National Helpline: A free, confidential, 24/7 line at 1-800-662-4357 that refers callers to substance use treatment. Getting into treatment early can also support eligibility for drug court or TASC probation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are drug cases from Belleville heard?

State drug charges arising in Belleville are filed in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County (the 20th Judicial Circuit), at the courthouse on the Public Square in downtown Belleville. Larger cases involving distribution networks, interstate trafficking or federal agencies such as the DEA are often charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, which sits in East St. Louis. Federal drug cases carry different sentencing rules, including mandatory minimums tied to drug quantity, so a lawyer with federal experience, such as Stobbs Law Office or Combs Waterkotte, matters if a federal indictment is possible.

Is marijuana still a crime in Illinois?

Adults 21 and older can legally possess limited amounts of cannabis under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, which took effect in 2020. Illinois residents may possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, 5 grams of concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC in infused products, and non-residents may possess half those amounts. Possessing more than the limit, selling without a license, growing without a medical card, possessing cannabis under 21, and driving under the influence are still offenses, as is transporting cannabis in a vehicle outside a sealed, odor-proof container. Federal law still treats marijuana as a controlled substance.

What happens after a drug arrest in St. Clair County?

Illinois eliminated cash bail in September 2023 under the Pretrial Fairness Act, so most people charged with drug offenses are released on conditions rather than required to post money. Prosecutors can ask the judge to detain someone before trial only for certain serious charges after a hearing. After the first appearance, the case moves into discovery, where a defense lawyer reviews police reports, search warrants, body camera footage and lab results, and can file motions to suppress evidence obtained through an illegal search.

Are there alternatives to a conviction for a first-time drug charge?

Yes. Illinois offers several programs that can resolve a drug case without a conviction for eligible defendants, including first-offender probation under the Controlled Substances Act, Second Chance Probation, TASC probation for people with substance use disorders, and drug court. Completing these programs typically requires drug testing, treatment and a period of supervision, and eligibility depends on the charge and criminal history. Firms such as The Conner Law Firm and Madelyn Daley & Associates address these options in their drug practices.

Can a drug charge be removed from my record in Illinois?

Many drug arrests and charges that ended in dismissal, acquittal or successful completion of supervision or probation can be expunged, and many other convictions can be sealed after a waiting period. Illinois also automatically expunged many minor cannabis records after legalization. The process runs through the circuit court in the county where the case was filed, and The Law Office of Dillon Borri and The Conner Law Firm both list expungement or sealing as part of their practice.

Should I hire a former prosecutor, a former public defender or a federal specialist?

Each background brings something different. A former prosecutor, such as Erin K. Conner or Michael J. Rousseau, has seen how the State’s Attorney’s Office evaluates and negotiates drug cases. A former public defender, such as Grant T. Menges, has handled a high volume of St. Clair County felonies from the defense side. A lawyer with a large federal caseload, like John D. Stobbs II, is often the better fit when federal agents are involved or an indictment is filed in East St. Louis.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about choosing a drug crime lawyer in Belleville, IL. The attorneys listed are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of results. Legal experience, fees, and case outcomes may vary depending on the charges and circumstances. Consult a licensed Illinois attorney for legal advice specific to your situation.