ChicagoClout

Fired city worker accused of shoplifting is acquitted She left store with groceries to get her debit card, a lawyer argued... By Monique Garcia 9:46 PM CDT, March 28, 2008 A Chicago city employee who was fired from her job in the inspector general's office after being arrested for shoplifting was acquitted Thursday of the charge, her attorney said Friday. Tracy Buckley, 36, who was an assistant chief investigator, was charged with misdemeanor theft after about $100 worth of merchandise was stolen from a Whole Foods Market, 6020 N. Cicero Ave., in January. Her attorney, Ron Menaker, said Judge Stuart Katz found Buckley not guilty of the charge Thursday. Menaker had argued that there was an "innocent explanation" for Buckley's actions. She had inadvertently attempted to leave the store with the merchandise to retrieve her debit card from her vehicle in the parking lot, he said. Menaker said it was unclear if Buckley would try to get her job back with the office, which investigates misconduct by city workers. Contacted Friday, Inspector General David Hoffman said he had no comment regarding the case. mcgarcia@tribune.com Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune The real question is, will she need to use her pension to pay for a lawyer to get her job back? Watch the moves in this chess match. What if this happened to any non-clout worker?