"Monkeys" Case Dismissed!

Remember the woman in Carpentersville who allegedly yelled at her neighbor's kids to stop climbing in a (slight) tree and acting like monkeys?

In a case that never should have grown legs in the first place, the Village of Carpentersville, through its Special Prosecutor, dropped the case this morning. Smart move on their part.

But how much did it cost them to go even this far?

Earlier this year Linda Ramirez Sliwinski was accused of Disorderly Conduct, after she saw her neighbor's children climbing in a tree on their property. She happens to be a Trustee of the Village, and the wheels of justice started churning away after the neighbor, who apparently didn't even directly witness whatever happened, complained to the police. The elements of a Disorderly Conduct charge are that a person must be "alarmed or disturbed" AND the peace must be breached.

Because the defendant was a Village trustee, the Village obtained the services of an outside lawyer and did not use the Village Attorney. I was in court last month, when the judge received notice that the defense attorney intended to file a Motion to Dismiss.

Somewhere along the way, the Village got smart, and the Special Prosecutor this morning told Judge Susan Clancy Boles that the Village wished to dismiss the charges. The End.

© 2008 GUS PHILPOTT