Crime and Punishment
Wednesday, Apr 6, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s kinda odd that the state coppers have punted…
A day after rejecting Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s request to mount an “independent’’ investigation into the Chicago Police Department’s handling of a homicide case involving a nephew of Mayor Daley and White House Chief of Staff William Daley, Patrick Keen, the interim director of the Illinois State Police, suggested that the case should be examined instead by an agency that could convene a grand jury.
“Upon review, I have determined that the Illinois State Police is not the appropriate entity to conduct the requested review of the 2004 investigation,” Keen wrote in a letter to Alvarez made public Tuesday. “Accordingly, the case file is enclosed and is being returned for further handling as you deem appropriate, whether by naming an independent, special prosecutor who, unlike ISP, if warranted, could convene a grand jury to hear statements made under oath, or by referring the matter to another criminal justice entity with similar powers.’’
The State Police declined to comment on the letter, or why the agency initially agreed on March 24 to investigate the way the Chicago police handled their investigation of David Koschman’s violent death after a drunken altercation with Daley nephew Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko.
Sneed…
Sneed smells the whiff of a hot potato toss.
† To wit: Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez has been reported as saying she is “surprised and disappointed” the Illinois State Police have done an about face — and decided NOT to investigate the 2004 homicide case of David Koschman, which involved Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko, a nephew of Mayor Daley.
Huh?
† To wit: Alvarez knew before she tossed the case to the Illinois State Police that within a short period of time (weeks) the new head of the Illinois State Police was going to be one of her top investigators, Hiram Grau, a highly respected former Chicago deputy police superintendent.
† To wit II: Alvarez also knew Grau intended to recuse himself from the Koschman case. Grau had been deputy superintendent of the Chicago Police Department’s bureau of investigative services, which oversees all detectives, when the Koschman case became a homicide probe in 2004. (Sneed hears, however, Grau may have been on furlough during the time of the initial Koschman police probe.)
† Sneed’s question: Why so surprised, Anita, at the Illinois State Police suddenly pulling out? Was this a case of a hot potato being tossed in someone else’s “in-basket” knowing Grau could not run an office effectively when his staff is investigating any role he may have played — or not have played — in the Koschman case? […]
† Hmmm. Is the real reason the Illinois State Police opted out of the Koschman probe because Gov. Quinn is trying his hand at the legendary political potato toss?
* Oy…
The politically connected head of Gov. Pat Quinn’s Southern Illinois security detail used a racial slur against a black college student in a Carlinville bar, starting a fight that preceded the officer’s resignation, the student says.
Blackburn College senior Bryan Reynolds, 22, said in an interview that the epithet from state Trooper Ken Snider “started the … well, I wouldn’t call it a ‘brawl,’ but I guess the fight.” […]
Reynolds, a former football player, told the Post-Dispatch that he stood near Snider inside the Anchor Inn. After two bumps to his shoulder, Reynolds turned to the state trooper and “asked what his problem was, because that’s the second time he bumped into me,” Reynolds said.
Snider grabbed the student’s shoulder and called him “the N-word” and other derogatory names, Reynolds said.
When Reynolds attempted to remove Snider’s hand from his shoulder, the trooper responded with a shove, Reynolds said, which provoked him to throw a punch.
Many of us around the Statehouse know Snider. This is really a disappointing turn of events.
More…
Illinois State Police are investigating a former trooper’s barroom altercation with a college student, who contends the law enforcer bumped him and used a racial slur. […]
Carlinville Police Chief Dave Haley confirmed he turned an incident report over to Illinois State Police involving Snider. Haley said he could not go into details.
“We are cooperating with the Illinois State Police in this investigation and do not want to jeopardize their investigation,” Haley said at the time. […]
No charges have been filed.
* Related…
* Jody Weis: Give Koschman witnesses polygraphs
* Knox County, not state, will pay for Sheley murder case
* ACLU questions Ill. law that bars recording cops
* House votes to create murderer registry
- earl - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 7:17 am:
Regretfully,ISP has become a highly political,wishy,washy agency that follows the path of least resistance.Remember that they investigated Ryan’s criminal conduct and found no wrongdoing before he was convicted. This case should probably investigated by Feds,if possible.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 8:13 am:
Ummm Jody, you were head of the police department remember. You could have in fact had this done. Really easy to talk smack now that you are out of the job.
- 36th Ward Chicago - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 8:22 am:
The question’s in my mind are unanswered. It needs more investigation.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 8:31 am:
I would LOVE the feds to get involved in the Kotschman mess. And perhaps they can find that missing file from Alvarez’s office.
- cassandra - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:01 am:
Is there any indication that Daley or his relatives have tried to influence the course of the investigation of this unfortunate incident.
Or is there an assumption on the part of the Chicago PD and Alvarez and others that they have to protect the Daleys. If the culture of the police dept and state’s atty dictates that they have to protect the relatives and friends of powerful Democratic politicians from the normal course of the law, those of us who live in Cook County have a more serious problem than this one case. We have a police dept and state’s attys office that is essentially for sale. Buy your politician and buy your exemption from the justice system. This is quite a stretch, although Alvarez ahd Grau do seem to be Behaving Badly.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:07 am:
Weis chimes in now? That would be hilarious if the case wasn’t so tragic.
- dznuts - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:08 am:
Beware of the Battlin’ Beavers of Blackburn
- Sue - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:17 am:
There is probably no jurisdictional basis to allow a federal investigation- Alverez should appoint an independent prosecutor or say categorically why one is not needed
- Cincinnatus - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:31 am:
I understand that Wysocki from The Chicago Code caught the case…
- Jake Utler - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:05 am:
Here’s what noone is asking: Why was this Kotschman case reopened a few months ago and who did it? If you consider the timing (late in 2010), could it have been that Weis himself got it rolling because he suspected or knew the Mayor was going to roll the bus over him?
Seems odd that a case like this reopens after 6 years and noone knows why. And knowing coppers and how they gossip, you can’t tell me Weis hadn’t heard about this incident in his time with CPD.
For the record, what makes me want this case pursued relentlessly is not the punch itself…..its the fact that Vanecko ran and then lawyered up with Terry Gillespie. If you were merely defending yourself and this was merely an accident (certainly seems to be at least somewhat true), why run? Why hide behind your lawyer for 25 days? And why didn’t CPD file reports immediately?
Finally, where’s Dick Devine in all of this?
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:38 am:
It’s amazing how many people blew off the Snider incident after it occurred. I hope those same people are taking note now.
- central illinois - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:44 am:
Snider resigned from the School and County board immediately after the fight which I think speaks volumes about the incident.
- state worker - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 12:52 pm:
I’m sorry but I really don’t get this murder registry article. It is such a horrible crime that I understand her anger. But it literally says that victim did not think the sentence was punishing enough, hence the murder registry. So is it really true that if passed, illinois will have to pay to create and upkeep a murder registry just so this one victim can enact more punishment? Yet the perpetrator lives in Hawaii anyway? And isn’t that an ex post facto punishment? Is it me or is that just bad reporting? I do not understand that article and welcome any insight.
- Fed up - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 1:19 pm:
So Jody Weiss feels the witnesses should be treated like criminals and his old bosses family should be given the benefit of the doubt. I wonder if the Feds can even be objective here. The offender is the nephew of obamas chief of staff. not the first time the Daley kids have attacked someone and got away with it. I remember they beat another youth with a baseball bat at a party at their compound in Michigan and it was also swept under the rug. Another example of rules and laws not applying to the ruling class.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 3:46 pm:
–Here’s what noone is asking: Why was this Kotschman case reopened a few months ago and who did it?–
The coppers claim it was an open investigation, closed just recently. The Cook County State’s Attorney claimed their dog ate the case file (no, not really. They just can’t find it, which is just as credible).
From the Sun-Times:
–Detectives began re-interviewing witnesses after receiving a Jan. 4 Sun-Times request for all reports on the case. The police initially refused to release anything but a heavily redacted, two-page report, citing an “ongoing criminal investigation” of the nearly 7-year-old case. They released a half-inch-thick stack of documents on Friday, blacking out most names in the reports, after now closing the case without seeking any charges. They classified it “CLEARED CLOSED / EXCEPTIONALLY.”–
- x ace - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 5:33 pm:
The real tragedy is that the trooper - student incident happened in the Anchor Inn. A true historic tavern with a great old Bar and Backbar in the bar area and also a extradordinary Backbar in the Taylor’s Chili room.
Appears stupidity has put a great place in the negative news. But next time down that way
it’ll still be my stopping spot.
- Independent - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 6:56 pm:
“Finally, where’s Dick Devine in all of this?”
You haven’t heard? You’ll love this. Devine is now representing Robert Vanecko (RJ’s brother) in litigation regarding the millions of city pension funds Vanecko lost on risky real estate deals. Those Vaneckos are something, aren’t they?
I don not count on Lisa Madigan to lift a finger over this. She refuses to take on anything with even a whiff of controversy (can’t do anything that might hamper those gubernatorial ambitions), so the Daleys are obviously off limits to her.
I am disappointed in Patrick Fitzgerald. He should get involved as there is more than enough smoke for him to take this as a public corruption case.
- proudstatetrooper - Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 7:53 pm:
I’ve known Snider a long time. Stand up guy. I am not surprised a college student would make these kind of accusations to justify punching him out. there is no record of Snider taking any violent actions against this individual before or after being assaulted. Also his retirement had nothing to do with his alleged guilt but with his decision not to go through with an internal investigation by a department that is at this time being run by a good old boy network that had it out for him because of his political ties. nothing to see here folks…..keep it moving