Who Has the Power to Hire Township Employees?

Reprinted with permission from Illinois Leaks: Algonquin Township – What next from under the Circus tent? BY KIRK ALLEN ON AUGUST 8, 2018 • ( LEAVE A COMMENT ) McHenry Co. (ECWd) –Just about the time you think you have seen it all, up jumps another … Continue reading

Speculation of Judge Michael Caldwell’s Retirement Unconfirmed, But Retirement Party Scheduled

A reader calling him or herself “Publius” wrote the following in a comment under the article about appointed Judge Robert Wilbrandt’s Meet and Greet: “Judge Caldwell announced his retirement yesterday.” That would have been on Wednesday. I contacted the McHenry … Continue reading

Judge Michael Caldwell Orders Current and Former Algonquin Township Road Commissions & Wife, Township Clerk and Supervisor Not to Destroy Records

This afternoon in Judge Michael Caldwell’s courtroom, five attorneys were on the clock in Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser’s suit against predecessor Bob Miller, his wife Anna May and newly-elected Township Clerk Karen Lukasik. David McArdle, representing Clerk Lukasik, asked … Continue reading

McHenry County Judicial Watch

Courthouse sources say that three Circuit Court Judges will retire this year. One has already done so–Mareen McIntyre. She was replaced by Associate Judge Robert Wilbrandt, who, in a previous life, was McHenry County Public Defender. Another Judge said to … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Gets Tax Protest Christmas Present

The City of Crystal Lake won the tax protest case which argued that a majority of the city council was necessary to pass its taxing ordinance. At stake was $1.6 million in property taxes. Reversing McHenry County Circuit Judge Michael … Continue reading

Judge Rules in Favor of CL Tax Protesters in 3-2 Passage of Levy

Judge Michael Caldwell has issued a preliminary ruling that the City of Crystal Lake did not legally pass its tax levy in 2013 (for taxes that were paid in 2014). At issue was whether having only three of the seven … Continue reading

Grafton Township Meeting Quiet, Short

With Township Supervisor Linda Moore in Texas for her daughter’s college graduation and Rob LaPorta also absent, the meeting was relatively short and peaceful. No one raised his voice or went off on a rant. Trustee Gerry McMahon even sat … Continue reading

Moore Seeks Indirect Criminal Contempt Charges Against Grafton Township Trustees as Husband’s Tiff with Trustee Gerry McMahon Goes to Trial

Today Grafton Supervisor Linda Moore’s husband David Moore is in criminal court on October, 2010, battery charges. Concurrently, Moore’s attorney John Nelson in the Separation of Powers case she won is asking for indirect criminal contempt findings against Trustees Rob … Continue reading

Rejecting Judge Michael Caldwell

Everybody’s got lawyers in Grafton Township. Supervisor Linda Moore has John Nelson. The Trustees have an Ancel Glink Partner Thomas Dicianni, at least for their case involving Moore. Assessor Bill Ottley has Mike Poper. Road Commissioner Jack Freund has Patrick … Continue reading

Linda Moore Decides Not to Appeal Second Separation of Powers Decision

The litigation concerning who has what power in Grafton Township has been long and expensive, but also interesting.  I’ve discussed how it involves the pitting of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of local government with Linda Moore’s attorney John … Continue reading

Grafton Trustees Ask for Additional Delay to Appeal Judge Caldwell’s Order to Appoint John Nelson Township Attorney

Grafton Trustees Ask for Additional Delay to Appeal Judge Caldwell’s Order to Appoint John Nelson Township Attorney Hi ho. Hi ho. It’s off to court we go. Again. For Grafton Township. May 4th Grafton Township Trustees were ordered by Judge … Continue reading

Judge Caldwell Orders Grafton Township Trustees Zirk, Murphy, LaPorta & McMahon to Approve Moore’s Lawyer as Township Attorney, Appeal Announced, Implementation Delayed

“Do we have to lose every time?” asked Donna McMahon of the Grafton Township Trustees’ counsel Thomas DiCianni, as those in the courtroom awaiting the arrival of Supervisor Linda Moore’s Rockford attorney John Nelson. “You’ve won more than you’ve lost,” … Continue reading

Linda Moore Asks Judge Caldwell to Approve John Nelson as Grafton Township Attorney

At the last meeting of the Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore asked her adversaries on the Township Board to approve the man whose arguments unseated their choice for Township Attorney, Keri Lyn Krafthefer, in Judge Michael Caldwell’s court. To no … Continue reading

Transcript of Grafton Township Separation of Powers Case from March 11, 2011

If you are not interested in what is happening in Grafton Township, ignore this post. It contains the court transcript for the separation of powers case between Supervisor Linda Moore and the Township Trustees. Of possible interest is the determination … Continue reading

For Grafton Township Junkies Only

If you are really, really interested in what happened in Judge Michael Caldwell’s courtroom on February 24, 2010, here’s where you can read the transcript that hasn’t already been posted on McHenry County Blog this week. There were a couple … Continue reading