The victim received some cash, lots of cash, and did not show up to court. I think it smells like a bribe and settlement. We need to force this lady to pay for all the grief she cost the taxpayers. Cook County’s justice system is not a matter of integrity, but a matter of “How much”. How Devine! Frank Coconate lost another round on this , money buys “Justice” in Chicago.
]]>Sex-abuse case against Chicago cop is dropped
By Carlos Sadovi
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 23, 2007
Cook County prosecutors on Tuesday dropped sexual-abuse charges against a Chicago Police sergeant after the alleged victim in the case failed to testify.
The trial for Gerald Breimon, 38, accused of fondling a 25-year-old woman after a 2003 traffic stop, was set to begin when prosecutors announced they were dropping charges of sexual abuse and official misconduct.
Cook County Criminal Court Judge Dennis Porter granted a request by Breimon’s lawyer, Michael Gillespie, to return to the officer the four guns he was required to turn over as the condition of his bail. The $50,000 bail was also returned.
Had Breimon, a 13-year veteran and the son of a former assistant deputy police superintendent, been convicted of the charges he could have faced up to 15 years in prison, Gillespie said.
“I’m glad it’s over, ” said Breimon, who was stripped of his police powers but remained with the department.
“We’ve been telling the court that we’ve been ready for trial for the last six months. He’s denied that he ever did anything wrong. We’re just happy that he can go on with his life,” Gillespie said.Gillespie said they will look into having the Police Department return him to active status.
Police have said that Breimon approached the woman on Sept. 23, 2002, in the 3600 block of North Marshfield Avenue as she walked to her car, which was illegally parked in an alley.
He allegedly told her not to drive her car because she had been drinking, but she came back to her car later and drove away. He followed and pulled her over in the 1800 block of West Addison Street. Breimon allegedly ordered her out of the car and groped her under the pretense of a search, police said. He then ordered her to follow him to a nearby parking lot, where he groped her again before letting her go, according to police.
He allegedly photographed the woman at that point, according to a police report, which indicated that the department’s Internal Affairs Department investigated the case before charges were filed.
Assistant Cook County State’s Atty. David Navarro said the charges were dropped because the woman, who has since moved out of state, refused to cooperate with prosecutors. According to court documents, prosecutors interviewed the woman but did not put her before a grand jury in the case.
“We don’t have a victim,” Navarro said.
The woman filed a federal civil lawsuit against the city and Breimon that was eventually settled, according to court documents. Jennifer Hoyle, a spokeswoman with the city’s Law Department, said the city reached a $10,000 settlement with the woman. The woman also settled separately with Breimon, but that amount was not disclosed, Hoyle said.
According to court papers filed May 14, Breimon’s lawyers said that in a signed affidavit the woman claimed the charges were brought because of “a misunderstanding of police procedures and how she came to understand Breimon’s actions were not of a sexual nature … in short, she recanted her original statements and accusations against Breimon.”
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csadovi@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
By Joe Iosbaker>> When 80 union members marched on the Human Resources building at the> campus of the University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) May 11th, they had> the name of who they were hunting for. “Are you listening, John?” asked> Tracey Whitaker, a Patient Unit Clerk from the UI Hospital, and a member> of Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).>> Sister Whitaker was yelling through a bullhorn to the windows above,> directing her remarks to John Loya, the new Vice Chancellor for Human> Resources. The workers were venting their frustration toward Loya and H.R.> in general because of the lack of progress at the negotiating table.>> 3,000 employees at UIC and its sister school, the University of Illinois -> Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) are without a contract, most for over eight> months. There have been 13 negotiation sessions between the clerical and> administrative workers with no real progress on wages, job erosion, and> other issues. Technical employees had their negotiations delayed for> months, and now management has come to them with a proposed 0% increase> for the first year of their contract and no guaranteed increase for the> life of the contract.>> Food service and building service workers at UIUC also protested the same> day on their campus. Negotiations there are also stalled and management is> just enforcing rules in food services that they couldn’t get the workers> to agree to at the table.>> Finally, service and maintenance workers at UIC finished negotiating a new> contract in the fall, but the university didn’t assign adequate personnel> to the task of calculating their back pay. As a result, those workers have> had to wait an extra six months.>> “John Loya: Bad Man on Campus”>> The workers picket signs read “John Loya: Bad Man on Campus.” This was> sparked by a front page story in the Chicago Sun Times exposing cronyism> at UIC. Entitled “Bad Man on Campus,” it was about a man named Thomas> Morano had been working as a $62,000 a year garage foreman for 10 years.> He had lied on his job application to cover up a felony conviction for> attempted murder, yet he was allowed to keep his job because of patronage.>> Morano is protected by Mayor Daley’s brother, John Daley, the Democratic> Party Committeeman for the Bridgeport neighborhood where the Daleys came> from. Morano’s history of violence continues. He was charged one and a> half years ago with having over a dozen handguns in his house, including> two that were loaded. Again, he managed to keep his job despite this> crime.>> A number of workers commented about this. Maria Alvarez, a member of the> clerical workers bargaining committee, said, “Young men from my community> never get this kind of second chance. If they make a mistake when they’re> young, they can’t get hired. And if they lied on an application, they’d> never work here again.” This was the same reaction many Black and Latino> workers had to this story, as it showed the racist discrimination and> national oppression that continues to impact their communities.>> Jeff Dexter, the chief negotiator for Local 73’s contracts at UIC, spoke> to the gathered workers. “This administration doesn’t care about the> workers here. They claim to be concerned about student safety, as we all> are in the wake of the murders at Virginia Tech last month. They claim to> be doing the best by their employees. By protecting this violent felon,> they’ve brought into doubt their concern about student safety.”>> As for the claim to care about the workers here, this was answered when> the union members chanted, “What do we want? RESPECT! When do we want it?> NOW!”
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
My name is Bruce Randazzo, Truck Driver for the Water dept. been employed since Oct of 1993.
There is so much corruption that I have seen !!!! Examples: A Streets and San. Foreman doing other work, while suppose to be at work at the Northwest Parking Lot, a city yard. This foreman was into construction, he would bring ( construction) debri into the yard, and dispose of this matter into the city garbage truck.( I seen this). I did report this to the city inspector General, nothing was ever done. I reported this to City Hall 7th floor streets and san. to Mr. Jack Batoal the general superindentant of Truck Drivers. The Union Hall 726 Teamsters, nothing was done.
Next we move to Foreman Gerald Brown, he would come into work, swipe his card, give his card to a Marvin Broder,his asst. foreman, when most of the Truck Driver left the yard, Gerald Brown would make his move and leave the yard and never come back to swipe in. I was there when he left, and when I swiped out to go home( had to wait for my ride, she picked me up at 4:15pm- No Gerald Brown) but his swipe card said he punched out at 2 30pm, I had plain view of who was swiping out. Marvin Broder swiped out twice!!! ( his and Brown’s). I got more on Gerald Brown corruption.
Next the SNOW ROUTES” If you wanted to work overtime on Snow Routes you had to pay the Foreman Gerald Brown money !!!! depending on which day it was, ( saturday -sunday) if he ( Brown)called you on SUNDAY you owed him the extra pay as well. which happened alot.
Next GARBAGE ROUTES” if you wanted a great route to drive in you had to pay ( Brown ) money also, in the $300 to $600 range This was also done to me ( which I refused to give him money) he threaten me to get me FIRED!!! Brown suspended me multi times for either 5 days to 1 day with no pay!! Our Union did nothing about this. I got a total of about 100 days of suspension because I would not ” play ball” I did complain to management reported this to Mr Frank Respondi, Ms.Kathy Hennessy, Mr. Jack Batoal, Mr. Tom Lever. these persons were in so deep they fought among them selves, tell you more later about these city employees,
To make a long story short, I have been denied a Promotion, been Illegal transfered, been discipline, been told I am going to get Fired by a Asst. Commissioner, been told by Deputy Commissioneer, that “I better wise up, or something bad is going to happen” All of this is in Streets and Sanatation.
Thank you
Bruce Randazzo
P.S. If the Federal Attorney General want to hear from me about this so be it!!!!!!!
Please stop picking on my new wife Jan,Havent you put her through enough?I really need her on my side right now.