Ward 3 Alderwoman Lindsay Hillery is facing charges of meth possession after two separate arrests in Galesburg over the weekend.
City officials are still digesting what happened, but it’s far from clear that Hillery will be giving up her city council seat.
A lot of what happens could depend on the decisions of Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin- who was a Galesburg Alderman himself for 8 years.
Mayor Peter Schwartzman tells WGIL that he’s still learning what happened but that he’s heard about the two incidents over the weekend.
He says the legal process is underway and he “awaits the final outcome”, but adds “obviously this is an embarrassment to the city and city council.”
City Attorney Brad Nolden says that a guilty verdict on a felony charge would result in removal from office per Illinois law, but until that time Alderwoman Hillery is “under no obligation to resign” and is “presumed innocent until proven guilty on all charges. “
This is not Hillery’s first run-in with the law since she was elected to the council. She was arrested for DUI in July 2019, after being seated on the council that May.
Officers began the search of her vehicle Friday because she had a Failure to Appear warrant on that misdemeanor charge.
Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin says his office decided to not file the domestic battery charge.
Although a Class 3 felony for meth possession was filed she’ll be required to obtain a substance abuse evaluation and to follow the recommendations of the evaluator.
Karlin says his office will then evaluate her progress. She has her appearance, a preliminary hearing with counsel, set for June 14 at 2 p.m.
