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| State's Attorney Defends Settlements |
Knox County State's Attorney John Pepmeyer says he must be politically naive, but he's just wanted to do the right thing.
That's part of a press release Pepmeyer, who's up for re-election in November, issued last night after it was learned that he's settled out of court with three former assistant state's attorneys who claim they were wrongfully terminated, and with three secretaries who claimed sexual harassment.
The numbers came to light through Freedom of Information Act requests -- one of which Pepmeyer claims was filed by his opponent -- Assistant State's Attorney and WGIL sports announcer Eric Gibson.
Pepmeyer says while he disagrees with the decision by the county's insurance company to settle out of court for totals reported to be around a half-million dollars with the former assistants, he supported the releasing of infromation despite how confidential they are.
Pepmeyer claims that many others in the Courthouse support him, and that they and he know what really happened in the cases.
He says that those who were let go by his office were hangers-on and those who wanted business as usual after Paul Mangieri stepped down from the office in order to become a judge.
Pepmeyer claims repeated assaults on his charcter, and that he's been very successful as a State's Attorney. He took credit in the press release for the successful conviction of accused spree killer Nicholas Sheley -- a case largely handled by the Illinois Attorney General's office, a conviction of a so-called "ATM Bandit", seizure of drug money from offenders, and other things.
Pepmeyer says he stands by his record in the five-and-a-half years he's been in office. |
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| 09 28 12 by Newsroom |
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