Story Archive

Grounds for Dismissal

St. Clair County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department records clerk Joann Reed went to a lot of effort to get a traffic ticket dismissed. She faxed the ticket complete with handwritten messages saying “Dismiss this case” and “The guy is the son of one of our deputies.” But she misdialed: the fax didn’t go to the Centreville village attorney, but to the local newspaper. When questioned by a reporter, Reed admitted sending the fax but denied that the defendant was a deputy’s son; journalists determined he in fact was. But perhaps more importantly, State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly said, “The decision to charge or dismiss rests solely with my office and that decision can’t be based on who you know or who your mother is.” The county sheriff promised to investigate and, if warranted, impose discipline. (AC/Belleview News-Democrat) ...That would be the real weird news: public integrity found in Illinois?
Original Publication Date: 06 November 2011
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.

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