Saturday, May 18, 2013
A lawsuit against an imprisoned preacher from Crete and an Indiana megachurch topped the week's court news.
A former megachurch preacher sentenced to 12 years in federal prison in March for carrying on a sexual relationship with a teenage member of his congregation was sued in Will County court. In addition to preacher Jack Schaap, 55, of Crete, the First Baptist Church of Hammond was named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The parents of a teenage girl Schaap had sex with while he was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond filed the lawsuit. The suit identifies the parents as "John Doe and Mary Doe," and the teen as "Jane Doe." The suit gives Jane Doe's date of birth as June 27, 1995. Here's what else was going on at the area's courthouses: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
A Caribbean music record company owner has a drug dog's lack of punctuality to thank for getting him out of a felony pot charge, but he still couldn't get his marijuana back.
Martin Scott was looking at a possible 30-year prison sentence after a police dog found pot in the trunk of his car back in September 2011. But a Cook County judge decided this week that the 41 minutes a state trooper made Scott wait for the dog to show up was too long, and ruled that the marijuana could not be used as evidence against him. Without that evidence, prosecutors decided to drop the case. Scott, 52, said he is the owner of Kingston, Jamaica, based UIM Records. He also said he obtained his marijuana legally in California and asked if he could have it back. He was refused. Scott left the Markham courthouse a happy—and free—man, and strolled away puffing on his electronic cigarette. Not too many other people written about last …
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A former Plainfield North gym teacher pleaded guilty to meeting a teen for sex. And that was just one of the things going on in court this week.
More than two years after the police caught her in a car with a half-dressed student from the high school where she was a teacher, Ashley Blumenshine copped a plea. Blumenshine, a 30-year-old former Plainfield North gym teacher, will have to do 11 days in jail. She will also spend two years on sex offender probation and 10 yeas on the Illinois sex offender registry. She tearfully apologized before she was taken into custody to start doing her time. Let's look at what else was going on in the area's courthouses this past week: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
What began as an argument in a south Chicago neighborhood home turned into a deadly shootout.
Brandon Ewing, a 24-year-old Alsip man, was charged with first-degree murder in association with the shooting death of a south Chicago man late Friday night, Sun-Times Media Reports. Police said an argument broke out between Ewing and 34-year-old Kevin Sanders within a home in the 8700 block of South Burley Avenue, and soon turned into a shootout on the street. Ewing shot Sanders multiple times in the chest while sustaining a gunshot wound from Sanders' returning fire, according to authorities. Sanders was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital where he was pronounced dead around midnight. Ewing was treated for his wounds at the same hospital. Get the rest of the story by the Sun-Times Media. Looking for more crime stories…
Saturday, April 6, 2013
A New Lenox man spoke of his "horrific" ordeal in the county jail after he was arrested for a murder someone else was wanted for.
We started the week off by talking with the New Lenox man jailed for two weeks for a murder allegedly committed by someone else with the same name. Pedro Hernandez, 67, said his time in the Will County jail was "horrific," and that he's looking for a lawyer to talk to about filing a lawsuit. But Hernandez's ordeal was just one of the things going on last week. There was also: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The lawyer for a teen charged with murder in connection with the brutal slaying of a friend's parents tried and failed to have the case dismissed.
The lawyer for the youngest of four pals charged with the brutal murder of a Palos couple failed to convince a judge to dismiss the case against his client. Joel Brodsky, the attorney for 18-year-old Mohammad Salahat, argued during a Thursday morning hearing at the Bridgeview courthouse that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Salahat was 16—legally a juvenile—when he was charged as an adult with the September 2011 murders of John and Maria Granat. If convicted of the double murder, Salahat faces a sentence of life in prison, Brodsky said, and therefore the case against him must be dismissed. Assistant State's Attorney Donna Norton called Brodsky's argument "both irrational and …
Sunday, March 31, 2013
In the last week, you may have missed stories about the upcoming election, school renovations, two murder cases, moving hospital patients, ice cream, burglary and more in Palos and nearby.
MONDAY District 230 School Board: A Pair of Incumbents Face 6 Challengers for 4 Seats A guide to the April 2013 District 230 school board race, pitting eight candidates for four seats. ARREST WARRANTS: Wanted in Palos There are warrants out for the arrest of accused criminals who were last known to be in Palos Heights, Palos Park or Palos Hills. Patch highlights a few of them today. TUESDAY Election Central Palos: 2013 Spring Elections Your guide to the local elections. Markham Teen Charged in Tinley Park 7-Eleven Murder Held Without Bond The alleged triggerman jailed in connection with last week's 7-Eleven parking lot murder appeared at the Bridgeview courthouse and was sent back to jail without a bond. WEDNESDAY Palos Community Hospital …
Friday, March 29, 2013
A weapons deal gone bad lead to the shooting death of the FBI informant.
Forty one-year-old Jerry Henderson of Alsip was sentenced to 80 years in prison Tuesday in connection with the 2006 shooting death of an FBI informant, the Chicago Tribune reports. Henderson was convicted of first degree murder in January for shooting 41-year-old FBI informant Timothy Forest in a wiretap operation gone bad. Forest was reportedly supposed to exchange $15,000 for guns and grenades from Henderson at a meeting location in Dolton. Agents listened in on a conversation between the two before Henderson shot Forest twice in the head. Henderson fled the scene but was found the next day in a South Side apartment with a gun that matched Forest’s killing. Get the full story by the Chicago Tribune. Looking for more crime stories…
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The alleged triggerman jailed in connection with last week's 7-Eleven parking lot murder appeared at the Bridgeview courthouse and was sent back to jail without a bond.
The Markham teen charged with gunning down a man he met through Craigslist to barter electronic equipment appeared at the Bridgeview courthouse Tuesday morning and was sent back to jail without a bond. READ: Markham Teen Charged With Murder in 7-Eleven Shooting Christopher Dyson, 18, faces murder and armed robbery charges in connection with Thursday's fatal shooting of 24-year-old Thomas Mastro of Tinley Park. Dyson and Mastro reportedly met outside a Tinley Park 7-Eleven so Dyson could trade his iPhone for Mastro's Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita. The deal reportedly was set up after Mastro posted an ad on Craigslist. READ: Tinley Park Man Fatally Shot in Argument in Store Parking Lot Dyson tried to rip Mastro off, then pulled a gun …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Christopher J. Dyson, 18, also faces an armed robbery charge connected to Thursday's shooting that left a Tinley Park man dead. He is being held without bail.
Christopher J. Dyson, 18, of Markham, was charged Saturday with murder and armed robbery in connection with Thursday's fatal shooting in a Tinley Park 7-Eleven parking lot, according to a Village of Tinley Park press release. He is being held without bail, and his next court date will be Tuesday, March 26, at the Bridgeview courthouse, a village spokesman said Saturday. The case is still under investigation, according to the press release. READ: Check Out the Full Story of the Shooting for More Details Dyson tried to rob Thomas Mastro, 24, outside the convenience store before pulling a gun, shooting Mastro in the chest and then fleeing the scene north on Oak Park Avenue, police said. He was captured around 147th and Oak Park Avenue in Oak …
Fester Bestertester
4:22 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
Drunkenly driving and drunkenly lying on the street. huh. more ›