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2nd mistrial declared in sex case Witness mentions polygraph given to accused ex-health care worker By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Once again, a U.S. Secret Service agent has mentioned the polygraph test administered on a former health care worker accused of sexually assaulting a patient. And once again, a McHenry County judge has declared a mistrial as a result.
Angelo J. Bird, 26, was standing trial this week for the second time on allegations that he inappropriately touched a 93-year-old resident at Crystal Pines Rehabilitation & Health Center in Crystal Lake where he worked as a certified nursing assistant at the time. Judge Michael Feetterer previously had barred any testimony relating to a poly-
graph test administered on the former Woodstock man. In Illinois courts, such testimony is generally inadmissible because polygraph tests results can be Angelo J. Bird unreliable. It’s unclear what the results of
Group lobbies for Clean Jobs Bill
Bird’s test were. It was the exact same reason Feetterer declared a mistrial the first time Bird faced a jury in July 2014. In that trial, the state’s first witness was Secret Service agent Booker Wright who twice had said the word “test.” Aaron Glass, another Secret Service agent called by Crystal Lake police to administer the polygraph on Bird,
was describing the interview room in response to a question from the prosecutor. Glass mentioned a table, chairs, and stopped after he said the word “polygraph.” Bird’s defense attorney Jamie Wombacher immediately objected and the jury was removed from the courtroom. It appeared that Glass recognized his slip. He hung his head as the jury was escorted
from the room. Feetterer looked displeased as he explained to jurors that the Secret Service agent had violated his court order. The mistrial was granted on the second day of evidence, after a full day of jury selection and hearings on pending motions. “I thought we were going to wrap up today, Judge,” Bird’s
See MISTRIAL, page A7
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN McHENRY COUNTY
J’burg business owner pushes for solar power By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com While a contingent of Exelon supporters rallied nearby, Johnsburg businessman Paul LaBarbera joined fellow solar energy allies in the debate surrounding the state’s energy supply this week in Springfield. LaBarbera, the owner of Magitek Energy Solutions and a charter member of the Illinois Solar Energy Association, met with legislators in hopes that they will pass the Clean Jobs Bill aimed at supporting renewable energy. He and others like him were at the state capitol the same time that energy giant Exelon hosted a rally for its bill, which would provide subsidies to the company for producing no-carbon energy. “When you’re going up against big boys like that it’s pretty tough. They’ve got much bigger pockets than we do,” LaBarbera said. The Clean Jobs Bill would change the state’s energy policy by increasing the percentage of the state’s energy that should come from renewable sources. House Bill 2607 also lays out plans to overhaul the state’s solar renewable energy credit program by providing subsidies to solar panel owners up-front based on future generation rather than year by year. “The idea behind this bill
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Deacon Barb Bishop (left) of Crystal Lake and Nan Palmer of Crystal Lake attend the Vigil for Equality on Tuesday at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Crystal Lake. On April 28, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on cases regarding marriage equality. Local supporters gathered at St. Mary’s to pray for all families and individuals affected by the decision.
Mixed feelings on gay marriage Some churches in McHenry County still grappling with issue By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com McHENRY – A handful of samesex couples on the verge of marriage have approached the Rev. Sean Parker Dennison in the past year. Dennison, the pastor at Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Church
in McHenry, is one of several pastors throughout McHenry County who have started officiating samesex weddings since Illinois legalized it in June 2014. But with many churches also refusing to perform the ceremonies, Dennison said some couples come to him because they know other churches won’t recognize their re-
lationship. “When religion is used to hurt other people, that’s really hard. That’s really sad,” Dennison said. “It’’s like something else has replaced that central message of love.” As the U.S. Supreme Court grapples with sanctioning same-sex marriage nationwide, a similar bat-
tle is playing out in churches across the country. While some churches embrace same-sex marriage, other churches have held steady in their views toward gays and lesbians. The Unitarian Universalist Association of Churches, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Conservative
See GAY MARRIAGE, page A7
See BILL, page A7
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Teamwork pays off Late goal nabs Huntley a 1-0 victory over CL South and with it a share of the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title / C1
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