1 year, 10 months ago by Scott Hardy
Judge Robert Adrian subject of complaint from Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board
An Illinois state board has filed a complaint against an Adams County judge, over how he handled a sexual assault case earlier this year.
The Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board filed a three-count complaint Friday against 8th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Robert Adrian, over his ruling in January in the Drew Clinton case. The Board says that on January 3rd, during a sentencing hearing in Adams County Circuit Court, Adrian vacated a Guilty plea that Clinton had entered. He then found Clinton Not Guilty. The Board says he reached that decision to circumvent state law.
The complaint also cited an incident later that month during a different hearing, where Adrian told Adams County Lead Trial Attorney Josh Jones that that he couldn't be fair with him and to leave the courtroom because Jones had “liked” a comment on a Facebook post that was critical of him.
The complaint also says that in early April, Judge Adrian lied while testifying before the Inquiry Board. The statement said that the false statements made by Adrian to the Board were made under oath and that "concerned facts Adrian knew were relevant to the Judicial Inquiry Boards' investigation into his conduct." The case will be heard by the Illinois Courts Commission. Judge Adrian has 21 days to respond to the charges.
Adrian's ruling in the Clinton case drew wide-spread condemnation across the country. He was later removed from hearing criminal cases. The complaint is available below.
