Misconduct Alleged In Alcohol And Drug Related Incidents

The Illinois Administrator has filed a complaint alleging

On October 13, 2016, Respondent left her home alone, driving a white pickup truck. Respondent drove to Bogies Sports Bar (“Bogies”) near the intersection of Chapin Street and Liberty Street in Morris, Illinois. After leaving Bogies, Respondent crashed her truck into a parked utility vehicle.

On October 13, 2016, at about 11:20 p.m., Mia Shannon (“Shannon”), a concerned citizen, called 911 about a car crash on Chapin Street. Shannon saw Respondent’s white truck driving on west Chapin Road and then saw the truck crash into a parked utility vehicle. Morris Police Department Officer Mark Vanderploeg was dispatched to the area to investigate.

On October 13, 2016, at 11:23 p.m., Officer Vanderploeg found a white pickup truck on Chapin Street. The truck had crashed into a parked heavy duty utility vehicle. Respondent was not inside or near the truck. Inside the truck, the officer found a deployed airbag with blood on it, an earring in the driver seat, an empty plastic cup next to spilled liquid and a strong odor of alcohol, drug paraphernalia with residue, cannabis and pills.

After conducting some investigation about the circumstances of the crash, Officer Vanderploeg, found Respondent at the hospital and spoke with her

Respondent told officer Vanderploeg that her truck had been stolen. Respondent had crashed her truck on Chapin road. Her statements that her truck was stolen were false and she knew they were false. Respondent’s speech was slurred and she smelled of alcohol.

Count Two

On December 24, 2016, at 1:42 a.m., Deputy Butterfield and Sergeant Clampitt, both of Grundy County Deputy Sheriff Department, located Respondent inside Honest Abe’s Tavern (“Abe’s”), a local bar in Will County. Respondent was wanted in Will County on a failure to appear warrant stemming from a Joliet traffic ticket. Deputies entered the bar and saw Respondent inside of Abe’s. Deputies told security that they were there to speak to Respondent. Security located Respondent and informed deputies of her exact table inside the bar.

Security informed Respondent that the police were there to speak with her. Respondent then picked up her jacket and walked over to the bar section of Abe’s. Respondent had two small plastic bags containing cocaine and cannabis inside her jacket pocket. Respondent walked over to Philip Centracchio (“Centracchio”) and handed him both plastic bags. Respondent and Centracchio were immediately detained by deputies.

While being detained by deputies, Centracchio stated that the plastic bags did not belong to him and that Respondent had walked up to him and handed them to him. The contents of the plastic bags were suspect cannabis and cocaine and one bag field tested positive as cocaine.

On December 24, 2016, Respondent was arrested for possession of cocaine and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance in case number 2016CF282 in Grundy County. A custodial search of Respondent found drug paraphernalia (a bowl) with cannabis residue. The suspect cannabis was entered into evidence. As of the date of this filing, the case remains pending in Grundy County.

 Count Three

 On January 15, 2017, Respondent visited Fergy’s Bar & Grill (“Fergy’s”) on Main Street in Seneca, Illinois. Also on January 15, 2017, Office Michael Hettelle was on routine patrol in and around Main Street in Seneca. Shortly after 3:00 a.m., Respondent and one other person were in the parking lot of Fergy’s yelling at two people on the other side of the parking lot. Respondent and the one person with her got into a pickup truck with the Respondent driving.

Respondent drove out of Fergy’s parking lot on to the roadway. After driving for approximately two blocks, Respondent drove through a stop sign and was pulled over by Officer Hettelle. Inside the car, Respondent was driving with a plastic cup containing alcohol in the center console next to Respondent. Respondent’s breath smelled of alcohol and Respondent admitted to Officer Hettelle that she had consumed alcohol before driving that evening. Officer Hettelle also smelled alcohol on Respondent’s breath, observed her eyes to be glassy and red and her speech to be slurred. Respondent agreed to submit to standardized field sobriety test (“SFST”). Respondent failed all SFSTs that were administered. Respondent refused to submit to a preliminary breath test.

Respondent was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (“DUI”) and taken to the police station. Respondent was also offered a breath alcohol test at the police station and declined. Respondent was issued a Summary Suspension. Respondent was issued citation numbers 11791, 11792 and 11794 for Disobeying a Stop Sign, Driving Under the Influence and Illegal Transportation of Alcohol by Driver respectively. Respondent was given a notice to appear in court on March 3, 2017 at the LaSalle County Courthouse. The cases were assigned case numbers 17 TR 465, 2017 DT 21 and 17 TR 466. As of the date of this filing, the cases remain pending in the LaSalle County Courthouse.

The attorney also is charged in an instance of client-related neglect. (Mike Frisch)