Henrich’s criminal trial continued….. More on the Freeman indictments…. Pontiac Prison closure lawsuit postponed…… Governor Quinn moves forward…..
Weather—weekend temperatures climb above freezing, Saturday and Sunday readings likely in the mid 30’s.
* Kankakee Judge William Schmidt Friday granted a continuance in the criminal trial of Iroquois County Clerk Mark Henrichs. The 52-year-old Henrichs is charged with theft, forgery and official misconduct stemming from a scheme to have a camping trailer HE owned purchased by his office for use as a mobile voting facility. The judge granted a continuance in the trial until after the April 7 election. Defense attorney Frank Simutis (Suh-MOO-this) filed a motion asking for the postponement from the scheduled March 17th trial date until at least 45 days after the election. The motion was based on the claim that Henrichs will be too busy preparing for the April Election to adequately prepare his case.
The Office of the Illinois Attorney General, which is prosecuting the case, agreed to a June 9th jury trial date. A pre-trial date is set for May 8th.
Henrichs was indicted in December of 2007 in connection with the sale of a camping trailer HE OWNED AND sold to the COUNTY for use as a mobile voting facility. Records show Henrichs didn’t reveal his ownership of the trailer and with the help of a friend in the auto dealership business sold the trailer to the county for $17,500—which is more than HE himself paid for it. He has plead not guilty to the charges. Henrichs has served as County Clerk since 1988.
* The financial collapse of the once-popular A-Way Grain Company in Iroquois County finds the company’s former president AND his wife facing a federal indictment. Mike and Dianne Freeman of rural Milford allegedly conspired to defraud more than $5 million from the A-Way stockholders, two banks, the Illinois Grain Insurance Fund. Illinois Ag Director Tom Jennings said the case will be pursued aggressively.
WGFA’s Agri-Business reporter Colleen Callahan has more……….
(News # 2 1:42)
.
