Thank God It's Thursday

It was in the middle of the Civil War that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be observed the last week of November, as an expression of gratitude for all that we are given, the freedoms we enjoy, and the loved ones who enrich our lives. And more importantly, as a reminder to file your ballot nomination petitions before the December deadline:

Two Lake County primary challenges set on first day of candidate filing

Holiday Life Hack: Looking for an old folks home for gramdma? Find one in Sangamon County. Then the next time you drive down to Springfield over Thanksgiving to file for your candidacy, you can kill two birds with one stone!

What We've Got Here is a Failure to Communicate

An actual unretouched screencap from the McHenryCountyBlog:

Portend to her general election campaign next year, Underwood uses fears and disinformation to district residents

Note to Ops: If the tiredout taxfighters at the McHenryCountyBlog haven't made themselves crystal clear, then this actual unretouched screencap is for you:

Message of the Day – A Car Sticker

Capisce?

Isn't That Special

There is no truth to the rumor that a Special Prosecutor will pursue battery charges against Mark Curan because Michael Nerheim would not be able to obtain a proper search warrant for wiretap evidence.

No, Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim has declined to prosecute Lake County Ex Sheriff Mark Curran because of a "conflict of interest". Nerheim said ...

my office has already contacted the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor's Office. This is the organization that handles conflict prosecutions for my office. They have agreed to accept the case and are awaiting their appointment. There is a formal process that is required in order for a special prosecutor to be appointed. The process requires a judge to sign an order. I cannot present that order for signature, until I receive the complete investigation from the Grayslake Police Department.
Special Prosecutor to be Named in Mark Curran Battery Case

It is not known at this time if the order for a Special Prosecutor that Michael Nerheim will present to a judge will be thrown out by an appeals court.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Outlawyered

Note to Ops: When submitting your petitions to the controlling authority for approval, make sure you followed the law down to the last letter when you present the paperwork. If not, your solicitation will likely be challenged and rejected.

Is your LakeCountyEye referring to election ballot nominating petitions? Haha, of course not. Your LakeCountyEye is referring to search warrants for wiretap evidence:

An Illinois appellate court has upheld a Lake County Circuit Court ruling that evidence from telephone wiretaps used in a large-scale street gang racketeering operation in Lake County cannot be used against the defendants.
'This destroys their case': Wiretap evidence banned in 2014 racketeering court proceedings, appeals panel rules

It goes without saying that every monumental screw up is just a fancy name for a learning experience. Even one produced by the Lake County State's Attorney office.

In response, one fake spokesman for lameduck State Rep David McSweeney said he is working on legislation that would: "add five years to the sentence of any case that was thrown out because Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim did not obtain a proper search warrant."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Meeting to Help Candidates Get on the Ballot

On Monday, November 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, area Democrats are invited to attend a meeting -- Notary Night, Legal Look-over, and Petition Collection -- for Democratic activists, candidates, and precinct committeepeople to bring in petitions to be notarized, checked and/or turned in. At the Lake County Federation of Teachers Hall, 248 Ambrogio Drive, Gurnee, Illinois, notaries public will be on hand, as well as lawyers who can check petitions. People can also turn in their notarized petitions that are ready for Democratic candidates.

Even if they don't have petitions, Democrats interested in taking a more active role in the 2020 elections are invited. It will be grassroots politics in action. They can chat with like-minded Democrats and hear a little bit about what it takes to be a precinct committeeperson or grassroots activist. Getting candidates on the ballot is crucial for electing more Democrats; having valid petitions is an important early step.

The Notary Night, Legal Look-over, and Petition Collection meeting is sponsored by Tenth Dems, Sixth Dems, Fourteenth Dems, and Lake County Democrats.

Why They Call It Practicing Law

It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that you cannot eavesdrop on someone's phone call without first obtaining a proper search warrant. Who knew?

Not the Lake County State's Attorney, apparently.

A 2014 Lake County RICO case that resulted in 27 gang arrests was effectively thrown out by an Illinois court. The Court ruled that State's Attorney Michael Nerheim improperly secured search warrants for wiretap evidence:

"We affirm the trial court's suppression of the evidence derived from the wiretaps on the ground that the (state's attorney's) office simply failed to comply with Article 108B of the Code of Criminal Procedure," the appellate court's written ruling states.
'This destroys their case': Wiretap evidence banned in 2014 racketeering court proceedings, appeals panel rules

One reasonable facsimile of a spokesman said:  "When Michael Nerheim ran in 2016 he said he would put end to all of the wrongful convictions coming out of the Lake County State's Attorney office.  Well Michael Nerheim is making good on that promise. By hook or by crook."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Domestic Violence in Our Back Yard

Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy

Pat Davenport, CEO and Executive Director of A Safe Place will discuss issues related to domestic violence and how her organization is working to address and end the problem.

• Sunday
  November 17 2019
  2:00 pm
• The Stevenson Center on Democracy
  25200 N St Mary's Rd
  Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
  773-281-0378
• $15
  (Students Free)

Run On Sentences

It's a good thing that ducks have no teeth because for lameduck State Rep David McSweeney the toothpaste is out of the tube.

Everybody knows that battery charges were filed this week against Lake County Ex-Sheriff Mark Curran:

Radio host William Kelly claims battery in confrontation with former Lake County sheriff Mark Curran at GOP U.S. Senate endorsement event

And David McSweeney -- who is expected to run for US Senate in 2022 -- no doubt is working on legislation that would bring back the death penalty for former elected officials who are convicted of battery.

One non-spokesman said: "And anyone acquitted of battery gets an automatic five years added to his sentence."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

The Fightin' Irish

You don't need to be from Lake County to know that politics is a contact sport. But it doesn't hurt:

A criminal complaint for battery has been filed against former Lake County Sheriff and current Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Curran following an incident caught on video Saturday at the Lake County Republican office in Grayslake, involving Curran's U.S. Senate opponent, William Kelly.
William Kelly Files Battery Complaint Against Mark Curran: Video

Likely, the complaint will go to the Lake County State's Attorney Office for review. Where the State's Attorney Office is expected to file murder charges against William Kelly.

One ersatz spokesman said, "Illinois law allows the State's Attorney to file these charges. Anyone can be charged and convicted of first-degree murder even if he never pulled a trigger."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Push Pol

Now that Daylight Savings Time is a thing of the past, this would be a good time to charge your batteries.

2020 Primary Checklist Does Your Battery Generate ...

Alternating Current?

Direct Current?

Mark Curran?

Haha, former Lake County Sheriff and current candidate for US Senate, Mark Curran, has been accused of battery. A fellow US Senate candidate, William Kelly, has filed criminal battery charges against Curran:

A criminal complaint for battery has been filed against former Lake County Sheriff and current Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Curran following an incident caught on video Saturday at the Lake County Republican office in Grayslake, involving Curran's U.S. Senate opponent, William Kelly.
William Kelly Files Battery Complaint Against Mark Curran: Video


The news release adds that an "unhinged Curran then grabs Kelly roughly by both shoulders and shoves him across the room to the door."
William Kelly Files Battery Complaint Against Mark Curran: Video

Note to Ops: Politics ain't beanbag.

Capitol Punishment

If David "Red Meat" McSweeney had a middle name that would be Red Meat. The Lameduck Lake County State Rep cooked up some more red meat for his supporters.  McSweeney says his colleagues in the Statehouse should be sent to the Bighouse:

Suburban Republican proposes penalty enhancements for elected officials convicted of crimes

This comes on the heels of a copycat law floated by McSweeney to reinstate the death penalty:

McSweeney wants to bring back the death penalty

One erstwhile political expert said:  "If there is any surefire way to keep your enemies off the ballot, that would be capital punishment."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.