Michael Romano has been cooling his heels in the McHenry County Jail, ever since he was hauled back from Las Vegas in February, on the same prisoner-bus ride with William J. Ross. Romano was in court a week ago (October 23). Instead of sucking it up and waiting for his next "regular" court date on November 26, he upped the ante on Judge Prather and his court-appointed public defender by making a motion to the court, on which the court had to act.
As the story gets to me, Judge Prather and the attorneys were a little more than upset at him for being so presumptuous as to demand a speedy trial and to expect them to actually do some legal work. That's what they are, right? Lawyers? Supposed to practice law?
How good is the defense from the McHenry County Public Defenders office? First of all, an outsider ought to go in and analyze the caseload of each attorney. Is it actually impossible for them to prepare an adequate defense for any client? Are they understaffed and overwhelmed?
Why do court cases get an almost-automatic 30-day continuance? Does the judge have a rubber-stamp that prints "Continued for 30 days"?
If you were sitting in jail and believed you had a strong alibi (i.e., being somewhere other than the scene of the crime when the crime was committed), how long would you expect to sit in jail waiting for your lawyer, whether public or private, to get you out?
And what if your lawyer just blows you off with "What's another year?", when you ask when you'll get your trial?
Did Romano's first, and private, attorney have evidence that exonerated Romano? Were there, and/or are there, credible witnesses who can state where Romano was at the time his father and step-mother were murdered on (or about) November 19, 2006?
Sure wish I'd been sitting in the courtroom on Friday. What was the response of Judge Prather to Romano's motion? Did Romano claim he was not being represented fairly or properly? Was he allowed to say why? Was his own lawyer (public defender) upset with him?
You know? Sometimes people need lawyers to protect them from their lawyers. The problem, when you have a public defender, is that you have no money to hire that outside lawyer.
Was the press there? Did the Northwest Herald reporter show up? Was the Chicago Tribune there?
How closely does Romano's public defender work with him, as he prepares his case? Does he keep appointments with Romano? He knows where to find him. The lawyer doesn't even have to put on his coat to go and meet with Romano. If he makes an appointment with him, he shouldn't have any trouble keeping that appointment. There won't be any traffic jams, and he won't have to find a parking space.
And if Romano needs medication and medical treatment for an identified health condition, shouldn't he be getting it? And getting it as prescribed and when it is to be given to him? Are the corrections officers and the jail's nurse following the doctor's orders?
Romano's next scheduled court date is November 26. A jury trial is scheduled now for March 23, 2015. Will the State be ready? Will the defense be ready?
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