Bad Cop: Officer John Ardelean walks as DUI charges dropped in fatal '07 crash
Erick Lagunas' family came to court Friday morning clinging to the slimmest of hopes.
But their 2½-year quest for justice ended in bitter tears, as the Chicago Police officer they say killed Lagunas and his friend, Miguel Flores, in a Thanksgiving Day 2007 drunken-driving crash walked out of the 26th and California courthouse a free man.
Quote from the article:
Source: Bad Cop: Officer John Ardelean walks as DUI charges dropped in fatal '07 crash
But their 2½-year quest for justice ended in bitter tears, as the Chicago Police officer they say killed Lagunas and his friend, Miguel Flores, in a Thanksgiving Day 2007 drunken-driving crash walked out of the 26th and California courthouse a free man.
Quote from the article:
"It's a joke -- they say we can continue with a civil suit," said Mayra Lagunas, 22, Erick Lagunas' cousin. "But no amount of money is ever going to bring Erick back." Cook County prosecutors met privately with the Lagunas family Friday morning, gently telling them they had no choice but to drop the aggravated drunken-driving and reckless homicide charges against officer John Ardelean. Prosecutors said their case fell apart after Cook County Judge Thomas Gainer Jr. threw out key evidence against Ardelean in late April. The Lagunas family couldn't stand to be in the courtroom when the case was officially dismissed. The family -- knowing what was coming -- said they couldn't bear to look at the police officer's face. A few moments later, Ardelean -- wearing dark sunglasses and surrounded by four beefy men in casual clothing -- walked briskly down the courthouse steps. Reporters barked questions at him, but he said nothing and offered no hint of his feelings. |
Source: Bad Cop: Officer John Ardelean walks as DUI charges dropped in fatal '07 crash
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