Silly me.

I thought that the over two-year journey to see whether Associate Judge Thomas Meyer would appoint a Special Prosecutor to look into allegations of wrong-doing by McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren would be over today.

Instead Meyer dismissed all the motions before him, including the first, short one filed by Special Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Caldwell which asked the Judge to make a decision on whether a Special Prosecutor should be appointed, considering it was in his discretion.

After clearing the decks of the tortuously argued motions, the Judge set a trial for April 25, 2012, at 10 AM.  [Gus Philpott notes that the evidence will be take at 1:30 that afternoon.]

At that trial McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi may be on the stand.

That apparently would not be necessary if Zane Seipler’s attorney Blake Horwitz had been willing to stipulate to the contents on the deposition which Horwitz, Nygren’s personal attorney Mark Gummerson, and Caldwell conducted.

Nygren is no longer a party to the case.

Apparently in questioning of Bianchi, Horwitz will be able to ask about Bianchi’s availability to prosecute specifically named crimes, solicitation to murder seeming to be the most serious.

But Judge Meyer stressed, “I’m not going to take evidence on specific crimes.”

Caldwell mentioned a letter that Horwitz had written.

“His letter may well add context to specific (allegations),” Judge Meyer replied.

Before orally denying all the motions, Meyer said, “I need that testimony,” adding later, “The only was to resolve this is witness testimony.”

Prior to adjourning, Judge Meyer entered into the record an encounter he had with Nygren “on official business” in a private judicial corridor.  Something about “security.”

He “was there to see another judge…it was only in passing that I knew he was here.  I told him I think it would be more appropriate if you did not come into my chamber.”

The issue of sanctions requested by Horwitz against Gummerson will be up in court next on April 11th at 11:30.  [Gus Philpott notes that it is now set at 1:30.]

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Out in the hallway Horwitz expressed his extreme displeasure at the article the Northwest Herald reporter had written about Zane Seipler’s reinstatement in his job as Deputy Sheriff after an almost four-year court marathon in which Sheriff Nygren refused to accept

• the arbitrator’s decision,
• Judge Meyer’s Administrative Review decision upholding the arbitrator’s decision,
• the 2nd Appellate Court’s ruling upholding Judge Meyer’s decision upholding the arbitrator’s decision.

Finally, when the Illinois Supreme Court’s refused to review the 2nd Appellate Court panel’s decision, Nygren made as many other delaying moves as the law allowed.

The arbitrator ruled that Seipler deserved a three-day suspension for doing something similar to what a Nygren favorite did and got such a punishment.

I didn’t write an article on the story, but did comment on how the online headlines got harsher the second day the story was posted.

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As I’m driving back to Crystal Lake, going through my head was the Beatles 1970 song, “Long and Winding Road.”

Any wonder why?