* Tony Peraica was supposed to be at a court hearing this morning regarding his arrest last fall for alleged late-night campaign shenanigans. He was an hour and a half late, so the judge tossed him behind bars…
Former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica was arrested and sent to the lockup in the Bridgeview courthouse Tuesday morning after showing up late for a hearing in his own misdemeanor case.
Judge Kerry M. Kennedy issued an arrest warrant for Peraica, who should have been in court at 9 a.m. for a scheduled hearing on his criminal damage to property charge.
And when the former Republican county board member walked into court more than 1-1/2 hours late, he was led to the lockup to await his attorney instead of taking his usual seat at the defense lawyers’ table.
“You of all people should know — 9 o’clock is 9 o’clock,” Kennedy yelled from the bench shortly before noon once Peraica’s attorney showed up. “You’re a defendant in this case. I can’t give you special treatment, I won’t give you special treatment.”
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- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 1:59 pm:
Try to not make judges mad, folks.
- Quinn T. Sential - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:01 pm:
She did give him special treatment. Assuming this was a first offense, no other misdemeanor defendant would have been treated that way.
Petty politics can be so petty.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:02 pm:
(music) “Tony Peraica!”
I can just hear his radio spots with that song with his name in it as the Bailiff took him away
(music) “Tony Peraica!”
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:04 pm:
Paging Nelson Muntz, please report to Cook County jail.
- Boone's is Back - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:09 pm:
It’s going to be hard to beat his old smirking mugshot..
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mp;imgrefurl=http://chicagopressrelease.com
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- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:28 pm:
hahahaha could not happen to a nicer guy. That said, Quinn T. raises a good point– if this is uncommon treatment for other misdemeanor offenders the judge is being capricious.
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:29 pm:
Thanks, 47th, for the Diet Pepsi all over my monitor.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:29 pm:
It will be interesting to see how many late defendants get tossed in the doc.
- amalia - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 2:50 pm:
awesome. the guy was a well known County arrogant jerk.
- Hoy Pinot - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:26 pm:
Judges are constantly late to their own courtrooms. Should they get locked up too?
- PaGo - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:28 pm:
Hoy! Amen!
- EIEIO - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:43 pm:
That Tony Peraica. Always making friends.
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:45 pm:
I don’t understand why anyone would be an hour-and-a-half late for a court hearing (except for a bonafide emergency), but, as others pointed out, I can’t imagine it is typical for a Judge to throw someone behind bars for it.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:47 pm:
Bench warrants are issued all the time for defendants who miss court dates (and an hour and a half is way past the window of opportunity to just say you’re late). He received the same treatment most anyone else would have.
- Skeeter - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:51 pm:
The article makes it sound like:
1. His attorney told him the wrong time; and
2. His attorney was late too.
I can’t stand Peraica, but it sounds like the judge needs some anger management.
- Hotel Ibiza - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:55 pm:
How many times was Rod Blagojevich late ? Double-Standard?
- Skeeter - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 3:56 pm:
Among the attorneys here: Who at least once has not been sitting in his/her office thinking a hearing (or Case Management Conference) was at 10:00, then glanced at the docket and noticed it was at 9:30 and had to run like heck over to court? It happens (not often of course, but it does). I suspect most of us have at least once received a call from opposing counsel or a court clerk saying “Counsel, we are in court. Where are you??” Again, it is extremely rare but I’ve been on both sides of that one. Nobody likes it and profuse apologies are required, but the general rule is that the first time is free.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 4:09 pm:
He should have been thrown in jail simply for being Tony Peraica.
That would have been all I needed.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 4:14 pm:
I don’t know, first time offenses probably shouldn’t be punished, but why would you want to test the temper of the judge in charge of your case?
- Timmeh - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 5:32 pm:
It is a little different being the lawyer/judge for a case than it is being a defendant; hence why I don’t agree with Skeeter’s point. As a defendant, I hope you’re not in court as often as a lawyer is.
There is room for leniency; but not for being an hour and a half late.
- reformer - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 5:34 pm:
What goes around, comes around…
- park - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 6:28 pm:
This is too funny. Hopefully he’s gone as the face of the Cook County R’s. Let’s get someone responsible in there and take some comissioner and aldermanic spots. Scare ‘em a little.
Yes, the judge freaked. That’s what happens sometimes in the lower courts. Still and all, no excuse for missing a court appearance. None.
- Wumpus - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 8:18 pm:
Doesn’t “seem” fair, but lol. I wonder what is Kerry Kenedy’s real name? Sounds like a policital name.
- Patrick McDonough - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 8:26 pm:
Who was driving Tony when the signs were allegedly removed? What a secret. Quiet…eh.
- Jack Justice - Tuesday, Oct 4, 11 @ 11:20 pm:
The Judge was way out of line, unless Tony had been late before and she warned him. Normally, a Judge who is anal about punctuality will warn you if you are late one time. After that the sky’s the limit.
- Esquire - Wednesday, Oct 5, 11 @ 12:48 am:
Let’s remember that Peraica was the beneficiary of an internal fight in the Cicero Township Republican Organization. The always classy Betty Loren Maltese wanted to dump Al Carr all of a sudden and Peraica was Carr’s sole primary opponent.