Illinois Courts Commission Considering Whether To Take Disciplinary action against an Illinois Judge Who Overturned a Rape Conviction

 

In western Illinois, there's a buzz about a judge who might be in hot water. The Illinois Courts Commission is thinking about giving the boot to Judge Robert Adrian after claims surfaced that he did a 180 on a rape conviction, sparking fury not just in Quincy, Illinois, but everywhere.

This whole drama unfolded after a three-day trial where Drew Clinton from Taylor, Michigan, was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl during a graduation bash in May 2021. 

Judge Adrian initially threw the book at Clinton, finding him guilty of criminal sexual assault in October of that year. But when it came time for Clinton's sentencing three months later, the judge suddenly changed his tune, saying the time Clinton spent in county jail was punishment aplenty.

Now, the Illinois Courts Commission, the judge-jury-executioner for these matters, is mulling over whether Judge Adrian played fast and loose with the law by tossing his own decision to spare the defendant from the slammer.

According to the complaint, Adrian admitted he was supposed to drop a four-year sentence bomb on Clinton but decided against it, claiming it wasn't fair. The Judicial Inquiry Board, a hurdle that complaints against judges must clear, says there's a reasonable basis to believe Adrian acted all wonky, bringing shame to the court.

Adrian's defense? He argues it was all about the evidence, not an attempt to be a law-bender. His lawyer even went so far as to say, "Maybe the legislature is wrong" for mandating four years in the clink for sexual assault.

But that's not all. The complaint also throws shade at Adrian, saying he gave a prosecutor the boot for "liking" a Facebook post critical of the judge. The post? It said, "Hold rapists accountable." The prosecutor, Joshua Jones, got the boot but later got an apology call from Adrian.

Cameron Vaughan, the victim in this legal rollercoaster, is not having it. She's determined to see Adrian out of the judge's chair, calling his reversal of the verdict "shocking and upsetting." Vaughan, who is now 18, says the blame game shifted from the accused, Clinton, to her and the other partygoers.

Now, the court commissioners are in the hot seat, sorting through the evidence and deciding Adrian's fate. This could take a while—weeks or even months.

[SOURCE]