Charles Weech
Michael Chmiel
Three McHenry County Circuit Court Judges are on the ballot for retention.
They run unopposed on what is called a “retention” ballot.
If they receive 60% of the vote, they get another six years.
If they don’t, they are off the bench.
They are
Charles Weech
A press release from the McHenry County Circuit Court:
The 22nd Judicial Circuit of McHenry County Mental Health Court will host its 7th Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, July 24th at 6:30 p.m.
The ceremony is open to the public and will take place in Courtroom 204 at McHenry County Government Center.
Guests are required to use the Government Center’s East Entrance.
The ceremony includes
The MHC is a voluntary program designed to serve defendants who are struggling with mental illness and are currently involved in the criminal justice system of McHenry County. In lieu of traditional punishment, the MHC diverts defendants with diagnosed mental illness away from the criminal justice system by offering alternatives including; intensive judicial oversight, community supervision and treatment.
The goals of the MHC are to reduce recidivism and promote self-sufficiency by offering community based treatment alternatives to incarceration.
The 7th Graduation ceremony will be a time of celebration and reflection for six (6) program graduates who have worked extremely hard to improve their lives and we commend them for their efforts.
This brings the program’s graduation total to 41 individuals since its inception in April of 2007.
The MHC is extremely proud to say that the program has a post graduation recidivism rate of less than 10%!
The MHC would not be possible without
For questions pertaining to the Mental Health Court, please contact Scott Block at 815-334-4913.
When McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi announced his campaign for re-election, one of the things he was obviously pleased about was the upcoming establishment of a mental health court.
Now, there are twice-monthly Friday after sessions of the court. There are thirteen such courts in Illinois.
Sixteen people are now in the program, according to the press release.
Now comes a press release from the McHenry County Mental Health Task Force announcing a celebration of its first anniversary is scheduled for Friday, April 4th. It will be held in the grand jury room in the state’s attorney’s office at 1:30.
There are all sorts of people and agencies involved in this effort, as you can read in the press release below:
THE MCHENRY COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COURT TASK FORCE
The McHenry County Mental Health Task Force is pleased to announce that the McHenry County Health Court, which is presided over by the Honorable Judge Charles Weech of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, is celebrating its one year anniversary on April 4, 2008.
The McHenry County Mental Health Court was created by a community based effort including the
- McHenry County Board,
- McHenry County Mental Health Board,
- Family Services,
- McHenry County Health Department,
- McHenry County 22nd Judicial Circuit Court and the
- McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
As in many jurisdictions around the country, the criminal justice system in McHenry County is experiencing a rapidly growing population of offenders who have mental disorders.
For many individuals with mental health problems circulation in and out of the criminal justice system is a way of life. Jailing individuals whose offenses are related more to the symptoms of their mental illness perpetuates the cycle of offense and incarceration.
This court seeks to provide an alternative way to address non violent criminal conduct, by those with mental illnesses in providing them a support system with which to have their illnesses medically and therapeutically treated.
The Mental Health Court has a
- case worker,
- probation officer and
- nurse
who each monitor the defendant’s compliance with court orders and assists defendants in maintaining their rehabilitating efforts.
In exchange for compliance with court orders and working on maintaining treatment for their mental illnesses defendant will receive a dismissal or reduction of their charges at the completion of the program.
Defendants will be under the careful supervision of the McHenry County Mental Court for a period of 18 to 24 months.
Currently the Mental Health Court has 16 participants who are at various stages of the program, with several more individuals being considered for the program.
Admission into the program occurs upon referral to the program by police officers, probation officers, defense attorneys, prosecutors, jail or Judge. It is anticipated that within the next few months of the program participation will increase to 25 or 30 members involved in the program.
Presently McHenry County’s Mental Health Court is one of only thirteen in the state of Illinois. The Illinois Legislature has passed legislation for Mental Health Courts and the McHenry County Health Court operates its program within those statutory guidelines.
The Mental Health Court’s success is achieved through a community based effort of various providers including mental health professionals and organizations like
- Family Services,
- Pioneer Center,
- Family Alliance,
- Thresholds,
- McHenry County Crisis,
- NAMI and the like.
The fact that this program has been so successful is a testament to the cooperative spirit of these mental health agencies that provide individuals in McHenry County who have mental illness with a network of support opportunities.
The Mental Health Court is conducted on Friday afternoons twice a month at 1:30 p.m. in the McHenry County Court House before the Honorable Judge Charles Weech,
who has presided over the Mental Health Court system from its inception.
A reception recognizing this anniversary will be held immediately following the Mental Health Court on April 4, 2008 in the Grand Jury Room of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office. The press is invited.
The Mental Health Court Task Force
Sandra Salgado
Mental Health Court Task Force Chairperson
= = = = =
All of the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them. The one on top was at the beginning of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s re-election announcement. You can see McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler at the podium and Bianchi to his right, if you click on the photo. The location is the main courtroom in the Old McHenry County Courthouse on the Woodstock Square. It is where I was sworn in as McHenry County Treasurer during the first week of December, 1966. The smiling photograph of Judge Charles Weech was taken at the wedding of Mackenzie Walter to Carlos Garcia on a very, very snowy night. On the bottom is a photograph of McHenry County Board member Sandra Salgado. I’ve also put in pictures of the Old McHenry County Courthouse, the one I served in, plus the new one.
When McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi announces his campaign for re-election, one of the things he was obviously please about was the upcoming establishment of a mental health court.
Now, there are twice-monthly Friday after sessions of the court. There are thirteen such courts in Illinois.
Sixteen people are now in the program, according to the press release.
Now comes a press release from the McHenry County Mental Health Task Force announcing a celebration of its first anniversary is scheduled for Friday, April 4th. It will be held in the grand jury room in the state’s attorney’s office at 1:30.
There are all sorts of people and agencies involved in this effort, as you can read in the press release below:
THE MCHENRY COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COURT TASK FORCE
The McHenry County Mental Health Court was created by a community based effort including the
- McHenry County Board,
- McHenry County Mental Health Board,
- Family Services,
- McHenry County Health Department,
- McHenry County 22nd Judicial Circuit Court and the
- McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
As in many jurisdictions around the country, the criminal justice system in McHenry County is experiencing a rapidly growing population of offenders who have mental disorders.
For many individuals with mental health problems circulation in and out of the criminal justice system is a way of life. Jailing individuals whose offenses are related more to the symptoms of their mental illness perpetuates the cycle of offense and incarceration.
The Mental Health Court has a
- case worker,
- probation officer and
- nurse
who each monitor the defendant’s compliance with court orders and assists defendants in maintaining their rehabilitating efforts.
In exchange for compliance with court orders and working on maintaining treatment for their mental illnesses defendant will receive a dismissal or reduction of their charges at the completion of the program.
Defendants will be under the careful supervision of the McHenry County Mental Court for a period of 18 to 24 months.
Admission into the program occurs upon referral to the program by police officers, probation officers, defense attorneys, prosecutors, jail or Judge. It is anticipated that within the next few months of the program participation will increase to 25 or 30 members involved in the program.
Presently McHenry County’s Mental Health Court is one of only thirteen in the state of Illinois. The Illinois Legislature has passed legislation for Mental Health Courts and the McHenry County Health Court operates its program within those statutory guidelines.
The Mental Health Court’s success is achieved through a community based effort of various providers including mental health professionals and organizations like
- Family Services,
- Pioneer Center,
- Family Alliance,
- Thresholds,
- McHenry County Crisis,
- NAMI and the like.
The fact that this program has been so successful is a testament to the cooperative spirit of these mental health agencies that provide individuals in McHenry County who have mental illness with a network of support opportunities.
The Mental Health Court is conducted on Friday afternoons twice a month at 1:30 p.m. in the McHenry County Court House before the Honorable Judge Charles Weech,
A reception recognizing this anniversary will be held immediately following the Mental Health Court on April 4, 2008 in the Grand Jury Room of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office. The press is invited.
The Mental Health Court Task Force
Sandra Salgado
Mental Health Court Task Force Chairperson
= = = = =
All of the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them. The one on top was at the beginning of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s re-election announcement. You can see McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler at the podium and Bianchi to his right, if you click on the photo. The location is the main courtroom in the Old McHenry County Courthouse on the Woodstock Square. It is where I was sworn in as McHenry County Treasurer during the first week of December, 1966. The smiling photograph of Judge Charles Weech was taken at the wedding of Mackenzie Walter to Carlos Garcia on a very, very snowy night. On the bottom is a photograph of McHenry County Board member Sandra Salgado. I’ve also put in pictures of the Old McHenry County Courthouse, the one I served in, plus the new one.
So, what you do New Year’s Eve?
My family went to the wedding of Mackenzie Walter to Carlos Garcia.
It was held at D’Andrea’s on Route 14 in Crystal Lake at the intersection of Route 31.
It was supposed to start at 6 PM, but the snow was brutal.
The streets were slippery. Even getting into the parking lot was tough.
Judge Charles Weech married the couple. He had ample time to review what he planned to say, which were really excellent.
And Jim and Anthea Hanlin’s granddaughter Cheyenne walking down our row. Unfortunately, I cut off the top of her head, but with eyes like that I knew you’d want to see the picture.
The room had stands of young trees draped in beads. One young woman got her curls caught in them, but I was too close to get a picture. I had the long lens on.
We were among the first to take our seats, but I didn’t have enough foresight to sit where I could get good shots during most of the ceremony.
The exception was the lighting of the unity candle.
Sister of the bride Lindsay and Alfonso Herrera’s youngest, Liam, was sitting across the aisle from us, so I got a picture of the expectation in his face as Mom walked down the aisle. Alfonso had to retreat to the sidelines as Liam figured out Mom was not coming for him.
The bridal procession walked down the aisle pretty fast for my camera, which had a dying battery.
I did a bit better on the recessional, betting a picture of Mack’s grandfather Lowell Terry. 
You can see what one person called “Narnia” trees in the background.
Mother of the Bride Colleen told me that it was intended to evoke a “Sleeping Beauty” feeling where the princess wakes up in an “Enchanted Forest.”
I didn’t get Mack’s grandmother Joan Terry until after dinner in a shot with Jane Rule and Mary Collins, South Shore Drive neighbors of parents Colleen and Marty Walter.
There were two official photographers. They stayed well past midnight.
While they were taking the officials photographs, Marty and Colleen Walters had D’Andrea’s staff lavishing us with finger food and an open bar, which lasted all night.
Top shelf.
And, yes, I got enough, ending up drinking water.
About nine I figured out that I had to drive home in worse weather than when we arrived.
The bridal procession entered the lavishly decorated main banquet room. (You can click on any image to get a bigger picture.)
They walked past chairs covered with red, accented with lace.
Red roses in perfect bloom alternated from atop high glass vases to lower ones. We were told we could take home the roses, but not the vases.
We have two of the deep red roses in a small Kurt Strobach crystal vase on the windowsill above the sink. (Our wedding present came from Strobach’s Coventry showroom one street east of Canterbury Grade School. He’s in the phone book.)
After all the wedding party entered, there was the cutting of the cake next the dessert table, which our hungry ten-year old had already found to his mother’s dismay. That didn’t stop her from tasting the cannoli he didn’t finish.
He did devour the cookie that looked like a groom’s tux, while ignoring the one the one like a wedding dress.
There was none of the smash mouth cake assault that you see on “Funniest Home Videos.” I thought Carlos was especially gentle.
And, in looking at the pictures I took, Mack’s hair was more lovely than I have seen on any Greek statue. (Come on. Click on the hair and look at its intricate design.)
There were toasts by the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Hers had me laughing too loudly.
Prayers were given in English and Spanish. Not a lot of my Latin roots came back, but it was moving.
Someone announced that there would be none of that clinking of glasses to elicit a kiss from the newly weds.
People would have to sing a song with the word “love” in it.
Our table, having been through this tradition at the Mary Pat Mercer-Bill Bear and my niece’s weddings were ready.
It was the Monkey’s hit,
“I’m a Believer.”
Mateo sang a great rendition of
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
and Mila sang
“Jesus Loves Me.”
More kisses.
The food was good and too much.
I had no room for the beef after I finished the chicken.
After dinner, the dancing began.
Carlos and Mack.
Looking lovingly at each other.
Another Kiss.
I can’t get over Mack’s hair.
Then, it was time for Mack to dance with her father Marty.
And, Carlos to dance with his mother Rosedith.
Then, dancing by married couples.
The disc jockey had the newer married couples leave the floor until just the longest married were left dancing.
Colleen’s parents, Lowell and Joan Terry, didn’t participate or I’m confident they would have been the longest on the floor.
A night of slow music, rock and roll, YMCA, music I had never heard, but no chicken dance, no hokey pokey followed.
I heard a swing song with more of a beat that was clearly from South of the Border.
It was good, as were those dancing to it.
Mateo got to strut his cross steps in a fast dance with a girl a little older.
He more than held his own.
Girls dancing with girls.
Guys of all ages dancing with their girls.
Some married.
Some not.
Kids dancing.
With 12 PM almost there, the disk jockey called all the kids to the back of the room where they participated in the countdown to midnight.
Then,
ten,
nine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two,
one.
Happy New Year!
Shouting.
Kissing.
Champagne toasts.
And, cleaning off a couple inches of snow from the car.
You can see a bit of what happened after Midnight here.
A careful drive across town back to Lakewood.
We figure Marty and Colleen will certainly toss a first anniversary party for the kids new New Year’s Eve.
Don’t you think?
= = = = =
Remember. You can enlarge all of the pictures by clicking on them.
So, what you do New Year’s Eve?
My family went to the wedding of Mackenzie Walter to Carlos Garcia.
It was held at D’Andrea’s on Route 14 in Crystal Lake at the intersection of Route 31.
It was supposed to start at 6 PM, but the snow was brutal.
The streets were slippery. Even getting into the parking lot was tough.
Judge Charles Weech married the couple. He had ample time to review what he planned to say, which were really excellent.
And Jim and Anthea Hanlin’s granddaughter Cheyenne walking down our row. Unfortunately, I cut off the top of her head, but with eyes like that I knew you’d want to see the picture.
The room had stands of young trees draped in beads. One young woman got her curls caught in them, but I was too close to get a picture. I had the long lens on.
We were among the first to take our seats, but I didn’t have enough foresight to sit where I could get good shots during most of the ceremony.
The exception was the lighting of the unity candle.
Sister of the bride Lindsay and Alfonso Herrera’s youngest, Liam, was sitting across the aisle from us, so I got a picture of the expectation in his face as Mom walked down the aisle. Alfonso had to retreat to the sidelines as Liam figured out Mom was not coming for him.
The bridal procession walked down the aisle pretty fast for my camera, which had a dying battery.
I did a bit better on the recessional, betting a picture of Mack’s grandfather Lowell Terry. You can see what one person called “Narnia” trees in the background.
Mother of the Bride Colleen told me that it was intended to evoke a “Sleeping Beauty” feeling where the princess wakes up in an “Enchanted Forest.”
I didn’t get Mack’s grandmother Joan Terry until after dinner in a shot with Jane Rule and Mary Collins, South Shore Drive neighbors of parents Colleen and Marty Walter.
There were two official photographers. They stayed well past midnight.
While they were taking the officials photographs, Marty and Colleen Walters had D’Andrea’s staff lavishing us with finger food and an open bar, which lasted all night.
Top shelf.
And, yes, I got enough, ending up drinking water.
About nine I figured out that I had to drive home in worse weather than when we arrived.
The bridal procession entered the lavishly decorated main banquet room. (You can click on any image to get a bigger picture.)
They walked past chairs covered with red, accented with lace.
Red roses in perfect bloom alternated from atop high glass vases to lower ones. We were told we could take home the roses, but not the vases.
We have two of the deep red roses in a small Kurt Strobach crystal vase on the windowsill above the sink. (Our wedding present came from Strobach’s Coventry showroom one street east of Canterbury Grade School. He’s in the phone book.)
After all the wedding party entered, there was the cutting of the cake next the dessert table, which our hungry ten-year old had already found to his mother’s dismay. That didn’t stop her from tasting the cannoli he didn’t finish.
He did devour the cookie that looked like a groom’s tux, while ignoring the one the one like a wedding dress.
There was none of the smash mouth cake assault that you see on “Funniest Home Videos.” I thought Carlos was especially gentle.
And, in looking at the pictures I took, Mack’s hair was more lovely than I have seen on any Greek statue. (Come on. Click on the hair and look at its intricate design.)
There were toasts by the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Hers had me laughing too loudly.
Prayers were given in English and Spanish. Not a lot of my Latin roots came back, but it was moving.
Someone announced that there would be none of that clinking of glasses to elicit a kiss from the newly weds.
People would have to sing a song with the word “love” in it.
Our table, having been through this tradition at the Mary Pat Mercer-Bill Bear and my niece’s weddings were ready.
It was the Monkey’s hit,
“I’m a Believer.”
Mateo sang a great rendition of
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
and Mila sang
“Jesus Loves Me.”
More kisses.
The food was good and too much.
I had no room for the beef after I finished the chicken.
After dinner, the dancing began.
Carlos and Mack.
Looking lovingly at each other.
Another Kiss.
I can’t get over Mack’s hair.
Then, it was time for Mack to dance with her father Marty.
And, Carlos to dance with his mother Rosedith.
Then, dancing by married couples.
The disc jockey had the newer married couples leave the floor until just the longest married were left dancing.
Colleen’s parents, Lowell and Joan Terry, didn’t participate or I’m confident they would have been the longest on the floor.
A night of slow music, rock and roll, YMCA, music I had never heard, but no chicken dance, no hokey pokey followed.
I heard a swing song with more of a beat that was clearly from South of the Border.
It was good, as were those dancing to it.
Mateo got to strut his cross steps in a fast dance with a girl a little older.
He more than held his own.
Girls dancing with girls.
Guys of all ages dancing with their girls.
Some married.
Some not.
Kids dancing.
With 12 PM almost there, the disk jockey called all the kids to the back of the room where they participated in the countdown to midnight.
Then,
ten,
nine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two,
one.
Happy New Year!
Shouting.
Kissing.
Champagne toasts.
And, cleaning off a couple inches of snow from the car.
You can see a bit of what happened after Midnight here.
A careful drive across town back to Lakewood.
We figure Marty and Colleen will certainly toss a first anniversary party for the kids new New Year’s Eve.
Don’t you think?
= = = = =
Remember. You can enlarge all of the pictures by clicking on them.
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