Mayor Ardis, along with several council members, is demanding answers from the State’s Attorney’s office. I wasn’t able to attend the press conference today due to other commitments, but I received this summary from the City’s Communications Manager:
The Mayor and Council Members discussed the issue surrounding the shooting of Demetric Mobley. They discussed their concerns regarding his release from jail in addition to 4 other individuals. The individuals had guns and a large amount of drugs in their home yet they were released from jail. The individuals harassed and threatened neighbors. Mayor is asking for answers to why there is a lack of communication between the City and the states attorneys office.
The Peoria Times-Observer’s DeWayne Bartels was there and also has State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons’ reaction:
Lyons, today, said the city council press conference could interfere with the prosecution of the case. Lyons went on to say this smells of last minute politics.
“Politics has an ugly side to it. Sometimes it shows itself on Sunday,” Lyons said.
In response to demands for more communication, Lyons “said Manning had been given an explanation on Friday afternoon.” Apparently, that explanation wasn’t good enough.
Also pointed out in the article is the fact that those in attendance — Ardis, Councilmen Manning, Turner, Spain, Montelongo, and Nichting, all support Lyons’ challenger Darin LaHood for State’s Attorney in the upcoming election. Ardis denies that politics has anything to do with the press conference that was held today.
Other than claiming to be the victim of “politics,” it doesn’t appear that Lyons gave the press any answers to the questions raised at today’s press conference. Whether it’s politics or not, those questions deserve answers. Neighbors aren’t being threatened by council members supporting Lyons’ opponent — they’re being threatened by thugs let back out on the street by the State’s Attorney’s office. What’s the explanation for that?
UPDATE: DeWayne says that Lyons did in fact give an answer to Ardis’s questions, but he hasn’t had a chance to finish writing his story yet. However, the Journal Star has one answer Lyons gave:
Ardis said his office has received hundreds of calls since 22-year-old Justin Rodgers was released from jail on Wednesday. Rodgers was arrested at an East Bluff home and booked on charges of felony possession of weapons, possession of a controlled substance and possession and delivery of marijuana. […]
In response to Ardis’ questions, Lyons said Rodgers was released from jail because he planned to use Rodgers’ arrest this week against him at his Dec. 4 hearing to revoke his probation for previous Tazewell County drug charges. Lyons said his decision is Rodgers’ “quickest and most direct way to the prison door.”
The quickest way to the prison door is to let the guy out of jail for over a month without posting bond? Really? Perhaps this makes sense to a prosecutor, but to people like the neighbors of this guy who was arrested, it makes absolutely no sense at all. Maybe he explained more and the full story just hasn’t been written yet.
UPDATE 2: Okay, here’s some more explanation from Mr. Lyons, as reported in today’s paper:
About two pounds of marijuana, 45 grams of cocaine, eight rocks of crack cocaine, body armor and five guns were seized from 1123 E. Elmhurst Ave. Rodgers had previously posted $30,000 bond in Tazewell County, and Lyons said he feared he would do the same in this case.
“If we had charged Rodgers with an offense, he would have posted bond again,” Lyons said. “We’d have to charge this case first and that would trump the petition to revoke his probation on Dec. 4.”
I have a dumb question: couldn’t the fact that he violated his probation in Tazewell County have been used as justification for having him held without bond in Peoria County?
Also, what kind of a stupid statement is this: “Ardis and Manning went to Spalding High School with LaHood, Lyons said, so it’s no surprise the two were promoting his agenda.” Uh-huh. Because it couldn’t have anything to do with Lyons releasing felons into the neighborhood without posting bond, or blowing off and insulting the mayor’s crime task force, or anything like that. It must be because they all went to high school together.
Kevin did provide answers to the questions raised by the council.
I just haven’t written the entire story yet.
Lyons spoke at length about the East Bluff case.
I did not write the entire story yet because I had to go to the ITOO Supper to cover it.
How political does it get? The thugs here are Ardis and his buds.
I don’t care if a person is voting for Lyon’s or LaHood. I really don’t. But Ardis should be ashamed for stating this was not about “politics” and for him state otherwise shows he must think Peoria county residents are pretty stupid not to realize otherwise.
Especially when his stunt was pulled just two days before an election.
Lastly, a police department is the last place crap like this should go on. Let Ardis, or other political supporters, call a press conference in front of city hall or some other place.
So Dewayne, do we have to wait until Tuesday to read your story? Wouldn’t that be too little too late?
If so, how about a few bullet points?
wow..that was rude
I don’t pretend that this is not a serious issue. But please tell me the last time city counsel persons had a press conference on a Sunday. Political posturing…or City of Peoria precedent?
Diane,
The rest of my story wil;l be up today on the Web site. It was a very busy Sunday.
Why does anyone care what the Mayor of this City Manager town has to say anyway?
Which city council members were in on this? I can’t wait to hear from Gary.
I only wonder if residents are going to demand the same thing of LaHood if he wins. It seems that an impossible standard is being set given the overcrowding at the jail. Are we really going to jail everyone?
Gee…..
Up ’till now only the local Democrats have been playing dirty pool….
My full story is on the Web at peoriatimesobserver.com.
I hope to have a further update later.
First of all, the three, Ardis, Manning and LaHood didn’t go to high school together, same school yes, years apart. Secondly, I have never heard of a convicted felon, pending probation charges, being arrested on such serious charges as these from last week, being released witout bail so these charges can be presented at his probation revocation hearing which the Peoria County States Attorney has no control over;those proceedings are in Tazewell county.
Thanks, DeWayne!
“given the overcrowding at the jail”
But we throw TIFS around like Halloween candy. Build parking garages for doctors….. Isn’t an appropriately sized jail an essential service?
Ryan, if the “rude” accusation was directed towards my comment that is not how I intended it. Sorry DeWayne if it sounded rude. I wondered if we would have to wait until the Times Observer came out on Tuesday to read your full story, which would of course be after the election. That’s all.
Lyon’s explanation is ludicrious. This shows that its time for him to go. Will LaHood be any better? I don’t really know, but he certainly can’t be any worse than Lyons.
Diane,
No apology needed.
I know it takes time to get used to the Peoria Times Observer having the best media Web site in town.
Right Diane?
Hmmm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assault_rifles
Maybe this will inform a few of the inquisitive minds
DeWayne – It’s aallll good! [grouphug]
group high five!
Shoulder bump!
Catch-And-Release Kevin has been getting away with this B.S. for years because no attorney in town will contradict him publicly out of fear of retaliation. Those who have crossed him have often found themselves charged with crimes. He is notoriously quick to anger –and there’s videotape to prove this — and he holds grudges.
In a normal election year, there’s no way voters would return a man with this many negatives to office. But the Obama landslide will bring in new Democratic Party voters and that may tip things in his favor.
Winning would leave Lyons with a sense of invulnerability. It will be impossible to get better quality work out of his office.
Please, people, if you are thinkingos staying home because you don’t like your choices in other races, PLEASE go to the polls and help toss this man from office. Don’t worry. If he’s the legal genius he obviously thinks he is, he’ll just fine in private practice.
Twenty years is too long.
Thanks to the efforts of our Web guru Nathan Domenighini the Peoria Times-Observer Web site at http://www.peoriatimesobserver has the five pages of documents released by Peoria County States Attorney Kevin Lyons yesterday available for all to see.
I am fairly new to Peoria, so I don’t really know anything about Lyons, but if he is as bad as people say he is, why has he been in office for 20 years?
Ben – I wonder the same thing about Blagojevich getting a second term.
Ben,
In a ‘town’ that can elect someone like Aaron Schock to represent them in the U.S. Congress………well, anything is possible.
Welcome to Peoria [area] politics.
Oh boy… you just HAD to go there…
DeWayne—
So why don’t East Bluff and West Bluff residents get copies of your paper?
In a ‘town’ that can elect someone like Don Saltsman to represent them in the General Assembly………well, anything is possible.
Welcome to Peoria [area] politics.
Billy, it’s funny to see you standing on the opposite side of this line for a change. For your info, if Obama does wins by a landslide, the Democrats I know will vote their mind and conscious no matter how loyal they are. I will not be voting for Lyons. I’ve been trying to get people like you to see for a while now that Kevin is not just unfair and unjust, he is also a bit of a looney toon he prosecutes who HE wants to and not what the written law calls for.
OK
Saltsman was a puddin’ head, but at least we kept that puddin’ head out of Washington. Now. What are we going to do about Schock?
“I wonder the same thing about Blagojevich getting a second term.”
PeoriaIllinoisan! I hear you!!!! What about that goof Bush squeaking out two terms?!?!
Now I want you all to PAY attention to what Precinct Committeeman has to say – – if you can AFFORD to pay attention! George & Co. has done broke the bank! HARRR! I am that funny.
I do not like Lyons. Time to vote for a write-in………………..
How about Aaron Schock?
Billy states definitively that attorneys who have crossed Lyons have been charged with crimes. That assertion seems dubious to me, particularly considering that presumably the charges were false to be worthy of mention. Any examples?
My client Nikia Perry was threatened with, and charged with a second murder. That charge was dropped after he testified against me at my disbarment hearing….which took place the week before the 1996 election where I was Lyons opponent. I waited, and after 9 years received a letter of apology from Nikia Perry. I’m still waiting with baited breath, for an apology from Lyons.
Lyons was eventually able to run me out of town by his refusing to take the investigation of Kris Jain (Grandview Hotel) to the Peoria County Grand Jury. After I turned over videotaped evidence of Jain’s felonies at the hotel, Jain solicited a federal parolee to “…take care of me…” The PPD investigated the solicitation and off the record advised me that Jain was deeply connected to organized crime. They, with Randy Ray concurring, advised that their hands were tied in the matter since it was clear that Lyons was not going to allow Jain to be indicted. They were PISSED that Lyons had given the illegal videotapes of the women at the hotel…..back to Jain.
To me it was clear that Lyons had delivered a message to Jain that Jain could do about whatever he wanted to me and so long as it was in Peoria County, he had a get out of jail free card. It was the next day that my wife and kids and I left Peoria for another state.