McQueen wants out; Tonigan wants out. Who's left?

On April 26th Attorney Henry "Skip" Tonigan filed a motion to withdraw as Special Prosecutor in the case against sitting McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi. At that time, just two months ago, Tonigan claimed that his duties in caring for his 86-year-old father had "dramatically increased", as the Northwest Herald published.

He said that he wanted Attorney Thomas McQueen to replace him as Special Prosecutor and referred to McQueen as an investigator who had been appointed to assist him. Has a judge ever ruled on that motion? Has McQueen's role ever been elevated to that of Special Prosecutor?

Isn't Tonigan still "the" Special Prosecutor in the Bianchi case?

Yesterday McQueen filed a motion to withdraw, feeling threatened by Bianchi's attorney, Terry Ekl, who may be planning a lawsuit against McQueen for alleged misconduct in the Bianchi case.

How will the judge in the Bianchi case react when he reads yesterday's Daily Herald article that "Retired Lake County Circuit Judge Henry Tonigan III has been selected to lead an internal investigation about ethics complaints filed against officials at Grayslake Elementary District 46." (Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110628/news/706289929/#ixzz1QfIGSuTA)

How is the senior Mr. Tonigan's health and need for increased care now?

Making matters worse is the pile of bills from the Special Prosecutor that still have not been paid. Did Tonigan have to pay Quest Consultants, Ltd., the investigations firm of ex-FBI agents that he hired, out of his own pocket, or is Quest willing to wait for Tonigan to get paid?

Tonigan should get paid for the work he has done and for that work which he contracted.. I seriously doubt that Tonigan is billing for any work that he did not do. If Judge Graham gave him, in effect, a blank check when he put him to work, then he should fill in the numbers now and order payment. Even if the County Board doesn't like it. Even if the taxpayers don't like it.

Maybe next time the County Board and the judge will figure out how not to issue blank checks.

Nobody else works for free in McHenry County. If you are going to order work and you don't intend to pay for it, then you need to say so, right up front!

That's all, folks

Just received an email about the conclusion of the Bianchi witch hunt and then read in the Northwest Herald that the judge ended the case after the prosecution rested.

Common sense prevailed in McHenry County, raising its seldom-seen head at 2200 N. Seminary Ave.

I just said to a friend yesterday that perhaps, now, the Office of the State's Attorney will have a little better understanding of how a defendant feels, since the forces of "justice" were slammed against their own heads.

Will the County pay for Lou Bianchi's defense costs?

I thought the whole charade was a joke. Except numerous felony charges are no joking matter. What do you suppose Bianchi's defense cost him? In dollars, I mean. The emotional cost will be much higher, even with the outcome as it is.

The prosecution of a person charged is a serious matter, and it must be so considered by all. When the State's Attorney's Office "wins" a case, it is no time for high five's or congratulatory handshakes in the courtroom. Obviously, I'm thinking of previous cases here.

Q. Why doesn't Tonigan bill monthly?

A. Because he doesn't have to.

What would be behind the thinking of Special Prosecutor Henry Tonigan in his pattern of bunching billings and presenting them when he feels like it?

One answer might be that the public outrage blows over and pretty quickly becomes "old news".

And why does Judge Graham allow that?

Judge Graham seems to have given Tonigan a blank check, and it's a check that the taxpayers of McHenry County are on the hook for; apparently, they must make it good.

Since first being appointed as Special Prosecutor, Tonigan has submitted only two bills, and the total is almost $221,500. And he hasn't even billed yet for September, October, November and December 2010. How much will that billing be for? $140,000?

Why doesn't Judge Graham order even such a reasonable requirement as monthly billings?

The County Board is just blowing smoke at Judge Graham with its powder-puff Resolution. It sounds almost like, "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down." Only Tonigan is in a brick house.

The County Board needs to stop playing "nice" with our money and grow some backbone; it should go to court and formally - legally - request Judge Graham to order monthly billings, with detail as to what attorney worked on which matter, on what day, at what hourly rate, and for how many minutes. And how much is out-sourced, with the same detail.

Tonigan blows lid on "emergency funds"

Tonigan billings on Bianchi investigation:

$34,234 September-December 2009
$74.206.69 January-June 2010
$108,441

Of course, there is still July, August and September work to be billed.

The McHenry County Board authorized $100,000 from "emergency funds" for the work of a "special prosecutor" in the Bianchi case.

What "emergency"? I haven't heard the newspapers (or, more importantly, the public) asking just what exact "emergency" existed.

Frankly, I am sick and tired of government (or anyone else) claiming "emergency", when none exists.

Will Tonigan get paid any amount of $100,000? He shouldn't. Did he go back to the Board at the end of June and tell them he had blown through the $100K? Did he work during the past three months without any expectation of compensation for expenses or time?

A fifth-grader could see through many of the charges levied against Lou Bianchi.

Should Bianchi step aside while his case takes five years to wind through the court system?

No.