St. Clair County Sheriff's Department records clerk Joann Reed wanted a speeding ticket for the son of a deputy dismissed, but she didn't go to a judge or jury in traffic court.
Instead, Reed faxed a copy of the Centreville Police Department's ticket from the Sheriff's Department's fax machine to Centreville village attorney Carmen Durso, with a handwritten message: "Dismiss this case."
The problem is, she didn't fax the ticket to Durso. Reed accidentally faxed it to the News-Democrat's newsroom.
"Guilty. Period," Reed said after a reporter questioned her about the errant fax.
The three-page message, signed by Reed, included a notice to appear because the 18-year-old alleged traffic violator failed to show up for court. The new court date is set for today.
"The guy is the son of one of our deputies," was handwritten on the notice to appear.
Reed, who unsuccessfully ran for Alorton mayor in 2009, told a reporter that statement wasn't true. She was doing it to help out a college student. She only wrote that to make sure the ticket was dismissed, she said.
Though one number of the address on the ticket was omitted and the last name wasn't the same as the deputy, reporters discovered the ticket was issued to the son of Cerether White, a St. Clair County sheriff's deputy.
The Centreville officer who wrote the ticket on Aug. 18 stated the 18-year-old motorist, Jonathon Yates, was driving 43 in a 20 mph zone, a ticket that carries a $175 fine.
Durso prosecutes municipal tickets in Centreville, but said he can't dismiss violations of state law -- such as speeding tickets.
"I get calls like these all the time," Durso said. "I don't think it's unusual or strange."
Durso maintained he never got the ticket and did nothing to intercede.
State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said Tuesday he received no request to dismiss this traffic violation from Reed, any sheriff's deputy, the defendant or anyone else. He declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
"The decision to charge or dismiss rests solely with my office and that decision can't be based on who you know or who your mother is," Kelly said.
Sheriff Mearl Justus, who employs both Reed and White, promised an investigation.
"I'm going to look into it and find out what it's about," Justus said. "If she has to be disciplined, then she will be disciplined. I'll look at the whole thing. I'll take some action."
Copyright 2011 - Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
