Confusion reigns...

Yesterday Zane Seipler's petition for a Special Prosecutor to investigate McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren continued to make progress, with Judge Meyer dismissing motions to end the case and setting two hearing dates.

There seems to be a little confusion over the dates.

McHenry County Blog reports the next hearing date of April 11, 2012, as being for a request by Zane's attorney, Blake Horwitz, for sanctions against Woodstock attorney Mark Gummerson, who represents Keith Nygren personally (not in his official capacity as Sheriff).

The Northwest Herald reports that the April 11th date is the day when McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi may be quizzed in court about why he won't handle such a Special Prosecutor case against Nygren, who by law is his client.

However, the McHenry County Blog reports that Bianchi could be called on April 25 (not April 11), and the Northwest Herald story doesn't mention the April 25 court date.

Online court records indicate two upcoming dates for this case (10MR000011):
April 11, 2012, 1:30PM
April 25, 2012, 10:00AM

The Northwest Herald story doesn't mention the hearing on the sanctions against Gummerson.

On my next trip to the courthouse, I shall re-read Zane's petition for a Special Prosecutor. The Northwest Herald story says, "Deputy Zane Seipler has accused the sheriff of using a seven-point star for both political and official purposes. Nygren’s actions, Seipler’s attorney has said, amount to theft, official misconduct and misappropriation of funds."

This makes it sound like Zane is claiming one thing and then his attorney is "just" explaining it. If my memory serves me correctly, the Petition for Special Prosecutor asserts that Nygren's use of the badge ("star") of his own design for official purposes (stationery, on vehicles, on doors in the building, etc.) and also on his political campaign literature amounts to "theft, official misconduct and misappropriation of (County) funds."

It is this mis-use of taxpayer money that is at the heart of the Petition. Why won't the Northwest Herald report that?

Read the McHenry County Blog article for Blake Horwitz' opinion of the Northwest Herald's article about Zane Seipler's reinstatement as a Deputy Sheriff. Seipler returned to work on March 19, and he is due almost four years' back pay.