Saturday, October 25, 2014

Michael Romano case dragging in McHenry County court

Remember the name Michael Romano from this blog back in January and February. No, you probably don't. Romano had been arrested on January 14 in Las Vegas, on a McHenry County warrant charging him with the 2006 murder of his parents. In my article on January 29 I wondered aloud whether McHenry County was becoming the new Guantanamo.

Romano waived extradition and could have been quickly picked up and returned to McHenry County. Instead, he was kept in jail in Las Vegas until William J. Ross was ready to go. Ross is also now accused of murder. Both men were transported on a prisoner bus, with the cross-country journey beginning on about February 3 and arriving in Woodstock on February 13.

What did it cost McHenry County to transport two men by prisoner bus for the 1,730 miles from Las Vegas to Woodstock. $1.00/mile?

Now comes the part of the story with which many are familiar. Court delays. Romano's case  (14CF000022) has had 2014 court dates, as follows:

Feb. 13 Rights
Feb. 18 Arraignment
Mar. 13, Apr. 29, June 4, July 25, Sept. 4, Sept. 25, Oct. 23. Continued - Defendant's request. Romano is represented by the McHenry County Public Defender's Office.

A person with knowledge of this case has provided some information to me, including that Romano may have been able to meet with his public defender-attorney only once to discuss his case. On court dates they would discuss only procedural issues with him and nothing germain to his actual case.

In April Romano signed a release, authorizing the Public Defender to contact the attorney whom Romano had used in 2006. Only recently did they do so. That information is crucial to his defense, but he is having a hard time conferring with his appointed attorney.

Romano apparently cannot even learn the Coroner's information about the time of death of his parents, for which he may have a verifiable alibi. 
 
Supposedly, the prioner van was even involved in a crash on an icy roadway, and Romano was injured in the crash.
 







Is this case one of "lock him up and throw away the key"? How many others are like it?

Does the McHenry County Jail maintain a spreadsheet showing the number of days each inmate has been incarcerated? 

Why do the judges tolerate excuse after excuse from defense attorneys, whether public or private, and grant Continuances merely upon request and without explanation or accountability?

3 comments:

Big Daddy said...

The legal profession is a closed fraternity. You, I and the general public are not allowed into. Judges and lawyers are. Unless we get our sheepskin. You think cops close ranks around each other in hard times? Judges and lawyers are much better at it. And who exactly is it that rates judges Gus? Lawyers. The same lawyers that appear before the judges they judge. A judge wouldn't want to upset a lawyer now would he.

Gus said...

And a lawyer would not want to upset a judge. So they "play nice." To the detriment of the defendant.

Julie said...

Hey Gus, I believe the longer they can keep him in jail the better. I knew Mike and Gloria very well, and they were very nice and kind people, they did not deserve what he did to them. He is guilty I know him very well and I think he is guilty.why would you want someone who shot his own father and step mother in the head out on the streets?If he could do that to them what would stop him from killing someone he does not know? Julie