Here’s my take: I think visiting a rape victim’s family to talk about a case that is set to go to trial soon was a terrible misstep for LaHood, and Lyons is using it to his political advantage. To that extent, both LaHood and Lyons are exploiting the victim and her family.

As for the specific accusations, they are all based on hearsay. Lyons says that the victim and her mother say that LaHood said this or that to the Child Advocacy Center and to someone in Lyons’ office who then reported it to Lyons. This is like the game of “telephone,” and I don’t find it particularly reliable, since it’s in Lyons’ interests to paint LaHood in the worst possible light. What information is he leaving out? Are the statements being taken out of context?

I don’t believe hearsay is admissible in court, so perhaps that’s why Lyons decided to try this “case” against LaHood in the court of public opinion. LaHood has denied the charges of improper conduct. Right now, it’s nothing more than he-said/he-said. Lyons isn’t taking questions or offering any further information.

That said, LaHood’s reaction has been a little overly-defensive in television and radio reports. He’s visibly agitated, talking fast and loud, and stumbling a bit over answers — saying at one point that he met with the father, then in the next breath saying he never met with the father. In other words, he acts as if he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

There’s probably something to this, but it’s hard to sort out fact from fiction in the absence of clear and unbiased information about the incident. How serious it is will be left up to the speculation of the voters. My guess is that those who favor LaHood will find plenty of reason to discount Lyons’ accusations, and those who favor Lyons will find plenty of ammunition here to blast LaHood.

Welcome to politics. Let the games begin.

From a press release:

STATEMENT FROM DARIN LAHOOD

Peoria, IL – Darin LaHood, candidate for Peoria County State’s Attorney has issued the following statement in response to Kevin Lyons’ statement yesterday:

“Five children between the ages of 13 and 16 were allegedly raped by a convicted felon out on parole over the course of 13 months leading up to January of this year. Monterius Hinkle was arrested at least three times by law enforcement, and was never charged for any rape by the State’s Attorney Office until the fifth rape. He should have been charged the first time. Instead, Hinkle left five rape victims and their devastated families. Concerned citizens of this community want answers as to why Hinkle was walking the streets of Peoria after four alleged rapes.”

Kevin Lyons has reduced the criminal justice system – particularly in this case – to political expediency; he has made false accusations against me, and he is ultimately responsible that Hinkle was free, on the streets of Peoria to allegedly commit these multiple rapes. I am a candidate for the office of State’s Attorney and yesterday the Peoria Heights police officers endorsed my candidacy by giving me the unanimous support of police organizations throughout the County. Law enforcement has collectively said that Lyons offers them no support as they tirelessly work to keep our streets safe.

I make no apologies for continuing to ascertain how families who have been victimized by unspeakable crimes feel about their treatment in our criminal justice system. I have this responsibility as a candidate for State’s Attorney This is crucial because the safety and security of our community depends it. At the very least, citizens should expect that violent criminals are sent to prison the first time and not allowed to roam the streets and commit further crimes. My commitment to the citizens of Peoria County is to put violent criminals where they belong–behind bars.”

The report on WCBU this morning had sound bites from LaHood saying he never identified himself as “the new prosecutor” on the case, and that he wasn’t there to see the rape victim, but rather the rape victim’s father. He further said that he went to see the victim’s father at the request of police officers familiar with the case.

Read all about it.

So far, I’ve only heard Lyons’ side of the story and a few select quotes that the paper saw fit to print. I’ve e-mailed Darin LaHood to get his official response. Once I get that, I’ll form an opinion. There are always two sides to every story, especially during campaign season.

I’d ask Lyons for his side of the story in the last post, but he never answers my e-mails.

From a press release:

Peoria Heights Police Unanimously Endorse Darin LaHood:
AWOL Suspect In Heights Fraud Investigation Prompts Police Union to Pronounce ‘Lost Confidence’ in State’s Attorney’s Office

Peoria Heights, IL – While Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons and investigators from his office have scrambled to determine how once-detained suspect Kranthi Akula slipped out of the Country before facing prosecution for fraudulent business practices, the Peoria Heights Police Department officers who investigated, arrested and jailed the suspect are frustrated that Lyons mishandled the case and allowed Akula to avoid prosecution and flee to India.

“We have lost confidence in Kevin Lyons’ abilities as State’s Attorney,” said Detective Chris Ahart of the Peoria Heights Police Department. “Our officers in conjunction with the Correctional Officers at the County jail arrested, transported, and booked the suspect into the County jail. It’s incomprehensible to us that Lyons failed at the Court hearing to demand forfeiture of Akula’s passport to the Sheriff’s Department as a condition of his bond. This mistake allowed the suspect to flee the Country. Lyons’ mishandling of the case is an embarrassment to law enforcement in Peoria.”

Police officers in Peoria Heights are clearly frustrated with the Akula case, but came together late last month to collectively call for change in the State’s Attorney’s office. On July 21, 2008, the Peoria Heights Police Benevolent Union voted 11-0 to endorse challenger candidate Darin LaHood for the top prosecutor’s office.

“The situation in Peoria Heights continues a pattern of neglect in the State’s Attorneys office that worsens our crime problems and demoralizes law enforcement,” said LaHood. “In case after case, the officers, deputies, investigators and detectives at the local departments have done their jobs. They have arrested and detained suspects, they have imprisoned convicts and they have worked very hard on the frontlines to make Peoria County safer. The problem, time and again, has been in the prosecutor’s office. In the Peoria Heights case, the State’s Attorney did not know what to do to keep an international suspect in Peoria. In other situations, he has been too liberal with plea bargains and ultimately soft on crime. No wonder we have the highest crime rate in the state over the past five years. I am committed to working in tandem with Peoria law enforcement, I will take a hard-line on criminals and together we will make Peoria a safer place for us all. It’s time for a change in the State’s Attorneys office.”

The endorsement of Darin LaHood for State’s Attorney from officers in Peoria Heights follows numerous others throughout the County. Those include both Peoria City and County police unions, as well as unions in Bartonville, Chillicothe and the County Correctional Officers. To date, LaHood has received all of the public endorsements from law enforcement agencies in Peoria County that have been issued.

Darin LaHood, 40, was born and raised in Peoria. He is a former Chief Terrorism and Federal Prosecutor who served four years with the U.S. Department of Justice in Las Vegas, Nevada. LaHood was also an Assistant State’s Attorney in both Tazewell and Cook counties. LaHood and his wife, Kristen, returned home to Peoria in 2005 to raise their three children: McKay, Luke, and Teddy. LaHood currently practices with the Peoria law firm of Miller, Hall, & Triggs. Darin and Kristen are active in numerous Peoria charitable and civic organizations and are members of St. Vincent de Paul Church. Visit www.DarinLaHood.com to learn more about Darin, volunteer opportunities, or to contribute to the campaign.

Via the New York Times (note: may require free registration):

Senator Barack Obama has all but settled on his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate rollout plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday morning, aides said. […]

Going into the final days, Mr. Obama was said to be focused mainly on three candidates: Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware. […]

If all goes according to plan, the announcement will be made with text and e-mail messages to supporters early in the morning, in time to capture coverage on the morning news shows and take advantage of a full day’s news cycle.

Mr. Obama and his running mate will begin, perhaps that day, a visit to swing states.