Law & Order column: State's attorney looking into mistaken arrest of Waukegan teen - Chicago Tribune
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart released a statement saying he will be looking into the circumstances of the arrest and subsequent release of a Waukegan teenager in connection with a shooting earlier this month.
On Feb. 21, Martell Williams, a 15-year-old Waukegan High School freshman, met with the media to describe how he was charged for the Feb. 4 shooting, but was cleared two days later after it was proved that he was playing basketball for WHS at Stevenson High School at the time of the shooting.
He said police detectives coerced him into confessing by “bribing” him with a meal from McDonald’s and a promise that he could go home if he just admitted that he was at the scene of the crime. The frightened teen did, and he spent two nights in the juvenile facility before he was cleared.
In his statement, Rinehart said: “We are very concerned about the arrest of Martell Williams. Our office dropped the charges as soon as the new information was presented to us by the Waukegan Police Department.
“I came into office on a promise of increasing police accountability. We have expanded our Brady policy, started a policy of compiling constitutional violations, and provided new trainings to law enforcement leaders,” he continued. “In 2021 alone, our office provided two trainings on juvenile confessions to the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and the Lake County Juvenile Officers Association.
“I also supported recent legislative reforms (705 ILCS 405/5-401.6) that decreased the chances of false confessions in cases with juveniles,” the statement read. “We will closely review the entire investigative file and video of the interrogation to determine how law enforcement can conduct future investigations while proactively protecting the rights of juvenile suspects.
In the incident, a clerk at a dollar store in the 2600 block of Grand Avenue was shot in the face, but survived. Waukegan police said they are looking into the circumstances that led to Williams’ arrest, as well as continuing to seek the suspect.
The police dogs of the Lake County sheriff’s office will be better protected while on duty thanks to the donation of some bullet- and stab-resistant vests from a charitable organization.
Vested Interest in K9s, a Massachusetts-based group, recently delivered the vests for Ryker, Danno, Dax and Duke. The vests were embroidered with “Honoring” and “Blue Paws Strong.” The vests were custom- fitted.
“We are so thankful for this generous donation of body armor for our canines, as we need to protect our four-legged deputies just as we do our human deputies!” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “All of our canines are equipped with armor for their protection.
“The armor previously worn by canines Dax and Duke was going to expire, so they, along with canines Ryker and Danno now have the most current protection,” he said. “Canine Boomer’s armor is still current, but we will replace it as soon as it reaches its shelf-life.”
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $960 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,744-$2,283, weighs an average of 4-5 lbs. and comes with a five-year warranty.
For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.
He went through the pretrial process while out on bond, but failed to appear for his trial in 2016. He was convicted of being an armed habitual criminal and sentenced in absentia to 17 years in prison.
Eventually, Johnson was brought into custody, and later appealed his conviction, saying that he should have been notified by mail after he skipped his court date.
When that appeal was summarily dismissed, and an appellate court affirmed the dismissal, Johnson tried a different approach. He said his lawyers should have asked for a hearing to prove his absence at trial was not willful. However, the appeals court this week said that argument failed to pass muster, and it was rejected.
source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/opinion/ct-lns-law-and-order-st-0228-20220224-qprjnoy2ingmrprepgn44tzeki-story.html
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