Court time (Wyatt) - waste of time

Jennifer Wyatt-Paplham had a court date this morning at 9:00AM. Courtroom 302. Checked the  hallway monitors for the courtrooms, when I arrived. Sure enough, Room 302.

While I was waiting in the front pew for court to start, I overhead other people say something about cases were to be heard in another courtroom. When I inquired of the court's clerk, she said there was a jury trial this morning, and that cases on Judge Condon's call would be heard in Room 304.

On the way out of 302 I asked the bailiff why the monitor was wrong and why there was no sign on the door. He didn't know.

Judge Prather was late getting started. No doubt she had some court business elsewhere. Why is no courtesy shown to those in the courtroom by announcing that court will convene (in about so-many minutes)?

Finally, at 10:11AM, Jenn's case was called. Geez, had I been Judge Prather, I'd of found her Guilty right then for how she was dressed. Jenn's hair is now some shade of red or pink, and she had on heels and a very tight black skirt. And a low-cut top with plenty of skin showing. Was she ready to go clubbing?

Her public defender, Kim Messer, asked for a continuance, and Assistant State's Attorney and Chief of the Criminal Division of the State's Attorney's Office Michael Combs did not argue against it. Judge Prather continued the case to August 1, 9:00AM. If you plan to attend, find out ahead of time in which courtroom it will be, 304 or 302. You can follow Case No. 12CF000250 at www.mchenrycircuitclerk.org

Why do judges tolerate routine, unexplained requests for continuances? Why weren't both sides ready to go today?

After Jenn's case was continued, I went to Court Administration to ask why the hallway monitor was wrong and why there wasn't any sign on the door. A secretary there didn't know, but she offered the possibility that the cleaning people might have removed the sign that she thought was posted yesterday.

And so, about today? Maybe someone will think to put on the courtroom readiness checklist to post a sign on the door and/or announce the change as people enter the courtroom.

More on the Motion and Responses for today's court date. On the list of names of possible witnesses to be called were Woodstock Police Officers Falat, Parsons and Rosenquist (now retired from Woodstock PD and employed at the Sheriff's Dept. as a court security officer),
Illinois State Police Special Agent Daniel Thomas,
Chet Gibbs of Bensenville,
Todd Jackson,
Kimberly Timmerman,
Steven Marshall of Centralia,
Christopher Ury,
Jeremy Velmont (Beth Bentley's eldest son),
Joshua Velmont (Beth Bentley's middle son)
Cissy Sullivan of Marengo, and
Angeline Holtgrave of Breese (Ill.).

I was amused by the sentence in the Motion and in the Response that the State and the defense were not aware of any prior criminal convictions of any of the witnesses. Whew! Somebody better do some more homework.