Jury: Milton not guilty of theft, misconduct charges
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| McLean County Clerk Peggy Ann Milton thanks jurors after they decided she was not guilty of theft and official misconduct charges Friday (Aug. 17, 207) at the McLean County Law and Justice Center in Bloomington. (Pantagraph/CARLOS T. MIRANDA) |
Friday, August 17, 2007 11:48 PM CDT
BLOOMINGTON — McLean County Clerk Peggy Ann Milton sobbed and hugged her attorney after a jury acquitted her Friday on theft and official misconduct charges.
The panel deliberated about three hours Friday.
County Recorder Lee Newcom read a statement on behalf of Milton, who started to address reporters but was overcome by emotion.
“Where do I go to ask, ‘Was it worth it?’” Milton said in her statement. “Real public corruption is something that must be pursued and prosecuted. There also needs to be some mechanism where judgment is used and where an inquiry can be made when an allegation is made, where an honest public official can be exonerated without such an ordeal and cost to the taxpayers. Such was not the case here.”
In comments after the verdict, special prosecutor David Rands said he was not completely surprised by the verdict.
“The fact that they were out three hours shows the jury took it as seriously as we all did. I have no quarrel with their verdict,” said Rands.
Milton was accused of theft under $300, theft of labor and two counts of official misconduct. Prosecutors said she used county postage stamps for charity mailings and had a county employee drive her son home to Heyworth on county time.
In response to questions about the use of taxpayer money to go after Milton for a relatively small amount of money, Rands said the matter was considered seriously by state police investigators, a county grand jury and the criminal jury.
Milton said her family has paid more than $35,000 in legal fees.
The county clerk told reporters that she believes the state’s grand jury laws should be overhauled.
Milton accused investigators of lying to the grand jury.
“If the truth had been spoken in the grand jury, we would not be here today,” she said.
An Illinois Wesleyan University student who acted as forewoman of the jury but declined to give her name said after the verdicts, “the only thing that matters is we had reasonable doubt.”
In closing arguments Friday, the defense attorney for Milton told the jury that his client is a victim of an inquisition.
“We’re not supposed to have inquisitions in this country but you’ve just witnessed one,” attorney Lee Smith said in closing arguments.
Rands said the case against Milton involves more than postage stamps and rides home.
“It involves a big principle. What do we expect from the people we elect? Mrs. Milton stole from the county of McLean and she should be convicted on all four counts,” said Rands.
In his remarks, Rands said Milton took advantage of her office by using county stamps to mail several hundred letters to help raise money for the American Diabetes Association.
Milton denied using the stamps for the fundraising. She said she may have occasionally used county stamps for other charitable causes.
Milton said opinions from county legal counsel indicated the actions were legal.
The defense contends former employee Denise Cesario was behind the investigation into Milton’s office practices.
Illinois State Police Sgt. Vidal Panizo assisted with the investigation.
“It’s been a year now since Sgt. Panizo left the statewide terrorism unit to work on this case and this is what they came up with,” Smith told the jury.
Cesario testified that she saw Milton’s son, Justin, working on a fundraising project in Milton’s office. She also acknowledged that she was not pleased with a job change that resulted in her losing more than $2 an hour.
Rands said Milton exceeded her authority by having her employee, Betzy Cowan, drive her son home to Heyworth. Both Cowan and Peggy Ann Milton also live in Heyworth.
“It was clear from her (Milton’s) testimony that she ran her office the way she wanted to run it,” Rands said.
The three-term county clerk has remained on duty throughout the investigation and trial.
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