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Law News Elsewhere  (fresh daily from the Web)

Senate votes to ban ephedra products

[MARCH 21, 2003]  SPRINGFIELD -- Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, talked with Kevin Riggins of Lincoln and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Chicago, following the Senate’s vote to ban the sale of products containing ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids. Riggins has lobbied at the local, state and national level against the dangers of ephedra since his 16-year-old son died last year. Sean Riggins' death was linked to ephedra products.

Senate Bill 1418 would limit the access of any ephedra product not approved by the secretary of Health and Human Services as safe for its intended use or approved for over-the-counter sales by the FDA.

Obama and Bomke sponsored Senate Bill 1418 in the Senate. The legislation now awaits consideration in the House of Representatives.

[News release]

Proposed law reduces appeals
by dangerous sex offenders

[MARCH 17, 2003]  SPRINGFIELD -- During a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 13, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Schmidt testified with Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, in favor of a proposed law to save time and money for the courts.

Senate Bill 1577 would restrict the number of times a person committed for sexually dangerous crimes could appeal for recovery to once every six months. According to Schmidt, prosecutors, public defenders and the courts spend needless time and taxpayers’ dollars hearing such cases when the convicted offenders immediately file for another hearing after losing a recovery petition, only to lose and file again. The six-month limit balances the rights of the offenders with the demands on the court system.

The legislation was approved and will now be heard by the full Senate.

[News release]

Six arrested for dealing crack cocaine

[MARCH 14, 2003]  Logan County State's Attorney Tim Huyett announced the arrests of six individuals involved in dealing crack cocaine in Logan County over the past several months. The arrests were made Thursday evening, and two search warrants were executed at the same time. Warrants are active for five other individuals who were not immediately located. The 11 are all charged with delivering crack cocaine in varying amounts to confidential informants or undercover police officers.

The charges are either Class 1 or 2 felonies, depending upon the weight of the narcotics delivered, and carry potential prison sentences of up to 15 years and seven years respectively. Some charged are eligible for extended terms due to prior drug offenses. All are also eligible for fines of up to $250,000 for a Class 1 felony and $200,000 for Class 2 under these circumstances.

The investigation culminating in the arrests is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Central Illinois Enforcement Group in conjunction with the Illinois State Police, the Logan County Sheriff's Department and the Lincoln City Police Department.

"This venture required the utmost of cooperation between all agencies in order to pull it off," said Huyett. "We wanted to do the arrests as nearly simultaneously as we could so the individuals arrested would not have an opportunity to warn their co-conspirators." Accordingly agents of all affected departments were brought in to assist.

The six who were arrested are:

--Patrick J. Palmer, 19, of Lincoln, charged with a Class 1 delivery occurring Jan. 28.

--Dejaun G. Mitchell, 26, of Chicago, charged with a Class 1 delivery occurring Feb. 11.

--Larry G. McCray, 39, of Lincoln, charged with a Class 1 delivery occurring Nov. 12, 2002.

--Walter L. Richmond aka Maurice L. Gardner, 22, of Chicago, charged with a Class 1 delivery occurring Jan. 9.

--Lester R. Stackhouse, 22, of Chicago, charged with a Class 1 delivery occurring Jan. 28.

--Cynthia L. Parish, 42, of Lincoln, charged with a Class 1 delivery occurring Jan. 30.

[to top of second column in this article]

The individuals not located were not named by Huyett, and their warrants will remain under seal until such time as they are apprehended.

"One need only look to this case and the past few weeks to realize how desperate we are to keep good law enforcement and to keep it funded in our community," Huyett said.

"Many of the individuals involved have ties to major gangs in Chicago. Apparently we provide a good market for their product. Law enforcement activities such as this will hopefully make the cost of doing business so high in our community that they will go elsewhere to peddle their wares. It is not so simple anymore as to just calculate the cost of law enforcement based on crimes committed by local residents."

"I want to personally commend all the officers involved," said Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols, whose department played a large role in the investigation and roundup. "For obvious reasons they cannot be publicly named, but they know who they are, and I thank them on behalf of all of us."

Huyett would not comment at this time on the results of the executions of the search warrants or the location of the residences involved. He indicated that those details would surface over the next few days, and he didn't want to compromise the ongoing portions of the investigation.

Huyett did indicate that the known facts suggest that the accused are involved with each other in the dealing of the cocaine, but he declined to elaborate further on the details of the case.

[Press release]

Mount Pulaski man charged
with murder in baby's death

[MARCH 13, 2003]  Logan County State's Attorney Timothy J. Huyett has filed first-degree murder charges against Louis Russo II, 18, of Mount Pulaski. The charges allege that he struck and choked his 3-month-old daughter, Jule Russo, knowing that such acts would create a strong probability of death or great bodily harm, thereby causing the death of Jule Russo.

The child was brought to the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital on Monday, March 3, by the defendant at approximately noon. Doctors at the scene indicated that the baby had been dead for at least an hour before arrival. X-rays and CT scans showed the presence of pre-existing brain damage as well as rib fractures. An autopsy conducted the following day by Dr. Viollette Hnilica showed that Jule suffered much abuse and died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and chest.

The Logan County sheriff's office was contacted by hospital personnel, and an inquiry into the circumstance of Jule's death was begun. After a weeklong investigation Louis Russo was arrested without incident by state police on Saturday afternoon in Clinton. The Illinois State Police led the investigative team at the request of Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols. "The state police have the manpower and the equipment to more efficiently spearhead a multicounty complex investigation such as this, and I want to thank them for so quickly responding to the citizens of Logan County " Nichols stated.

"I want to thank and commend all law enforcement which were involved in bringing this incident to a rapid conclusion. The Logan County Sheriff's Department, the Illinois State Police, the Mount Pulaski Police Department and the law enforcement agencies of Clinton, Ill., where the arrest was made, were all invaluable members of the team," said Huyett. "This is an extreme tragedy, and I will do everything I can to seek some justice for Jule," Huyett stated.

[to top of second column in this article]

This is the second infant murder in the last three years in Logan County. Edward Lascola was convicted by a Logan County jury in October of 2002 for the murder of 11-month-old Daneysia Williams. Daneysia's mother, Kimberly Williams, awaits trial on an accountability theory in the same case.

"I only hope that people will pay attention to the signs of abuse and begin protecting our children," Huyett said. "It's up to all of us to begin to end the cycle of violence in which we appear to find ourselves."

Russo appeared in court Tuesday. He received a court-appointed lawyer, Patrick Timoney. Russo faces six charges of first-degree murder. If found guilty, he could receive life imprisonment with no chance of parole.

Russo's bond was set at $2 million. He continues to be held at Logan County Jail. He returns to court April 8.

[Press release]

Police Reports

Two arrested in connection with area burglaries

[MARCH 18, 2003]  The Logan County Sheriff's Department is investigating the activities of two young Peoria men. The 17- and 18-year-olds were arrested following a traffic incident Saturday morning. They had apparently committed burglaries in Logan, Sangamon and Menard counties. The burglaries included a house in Menard County, two cars in Sangamon County, a house and business in Hartsburg, and a house in Elkhart.

The alleged thieves are being held in the Logan County Jail on various counts of burglary, aggravated assault and traffic violations.

The state of Illinois investigated the traffic accident. Sgt. Doug McCartney, a detective with the Logan County Sheriff's Department, is coordinating the investigation of the burglaries.

[News release]

Link to Illinois sex offender information provided by the Illinois State Police:

http://www.isp.state.il.us/sor/frames.htm

Searches available by city, county, ZIP code and name.

Community Policing Activities

Some that still don't get it, got it

[MARCH 1, 2003]  From Feb. 9 through 22, the Lincoln Police Department, with a grant provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation, conducted a seat belt enforcement detail within the city of Lincoln. Nine officers participated in the enforcement detail and stopped 119 vehicles during this detail. The results are as follows:

• Speeding citations: 24
• Other moving citations: 31
• Seat belt citations: 96
• Child restraint citations: 1
• Suspended license: 3

• Total citations issued: 155

As we approach spring and a busy traveling season, the Lincoln Police Department continues to encourage the motoring public to use seat belts and child restraint devices while traveling.

[Officer Tim Butterfield,
Lincoln Police Department]

Court News

Name, age, address; date, charge; sentence

(No postings for week ending 3-13-03)

Marriage Licenses

(Week ending 3-13-03)

• Sedrick L. Cunningham, Lincoln
  Liashawn R. Johnson, Decatur

• Seth A. Turner, Lincoln
  Sarah J. Anderson, Lincoln

• Mike L. Johnson, Lincoln
  Deborah K. Siltman, Lincoln

• Douglas N. Gellner, Lincoln
  Amber D. Senters, Lincoln

• Tommy J. Poe, Lincoln
  Susan E. Deason, Lincoln

• Robert J. Twyman, Atlanta
  Elizabeth T. Lonsdale, Atlanta

Dissolutions

(Week ending 3-13-03)

• Helmuth G. Kiliman, Lincoln
  Deanna J. Kiliman, Lincoln

Most Wanted

[Click here]

Anyone with information concerning crimes in the Lincoln and Logan County area is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 732-3000 or send a message to crime@ccaonline.com. Your information will be kept confidential and you may remain anonymous. If your information leads to the arrest of people involved, Crime Stoppers will pay you a cash reward up to $1,000.

Crime Stoppers has an answering machine to answer your calls. This is to protect you if you wish to remain anonymous. (Your calls cannot be traced with the machine.) You need to let us know how you can be contacted about the incident, or you must watch to see if the subject has been arrested. This is so we can make a payout.

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