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All charges dropped against cop in fatal crash (Chicago cop, drunk killed two)
Chicago Tribune ^ | June 4, 2010 | Matt Walberg

Posted on 06/04/2010 11:44:43 AM PDT by Second Amendment First

Edited on 06/04/2010 3:28:23 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

With a judge's earlier ruling that Chicago Police Officer John Ardelean had been arrested and detained without probable cause, Cook County prosecutors today dropped all charges against him in a crash that killed two people.

The 36-year-old officer was charged with drunken driving and reckless homicide after his SUV broadsided a car on Thanksgiving 2007.


(Excerpt) Read more at chicagobreakingnews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: activistcourts; chicago; chicagocorruption; chicagoway; codeofsilence; cultureofcorruption; donutwatch; judicialtyranny; nifongism; preludetowar; revenuetickets; thugwithabadge
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To: Grunthor

being a ‘non-cop’ and having had the breathalyzer thing shoved in my face and forced to comply on the ‘guilty if ya refuse’ clause , i can see nothing less than conspiracy between all these cops and associated ‘law’ enforcement...


41 posted on 06/04/2010 12:27:27 PM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: thefactor

You MUST know this guy eh?


42 posted on 06/04/2010 12:28:18 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Second Amendment First

It’s more than just cops IMHO. We’re rapidly morphing into a Party controlled state - if you’re a Party member (cop, govt. worker, politician, SEIU member) you get one standard of justice. If none of the above, tough luck sucker.


43 posted on 06/04/2010 12:32:03 PM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: Cyman
The Breathalyzer test administered eight hours after the crash showed Ardelean was well below that level at the time.
44 posted on 06/04/2010 12:34:19 PM PDT by free me (Sarah Palin 2012? You Betcha!)
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To: cripplecreek

Oh, in a society where words are crimes, I agree with you entirely.


45 posted on 06/04/2010 12:34:32 PM PDT by Professional
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To: Second Amendment First
Chicago! Chicago! My kind of town!

I grew up there. When I hear people talk about what a great town Chicago is, I can only shake my head. After graduating from college, I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

46 posted on 06/04/2010 12:36:03 PM PDT by Rum Tum Tugger
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To: Gilbo_3

Heck, in Arizona I blew a zero. I was arrested for DUI, had my car towed for $600 and spent 24 hours in jail.

The cop wrote in the police report that he saw my eye twitch.

Found out later that the guy that owns the towing company was the cops brother in law.

So that is grand-theft and kidnapping, by the cops.


47 posted on 06/04/2010 12:37:07 PM PDT by FoxPro (Out side of a dog, books are mans best friend. Inside of a dog, it is to dark to read.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

big difference between ‘checkpoints’ and killing somebody...


48 posted on 06/04/2010 12:37:28 PM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: Professional

You are aware that there are people sitting in a Michigan jail for saying far less than that about killing police. (hutaree militia) and yes their plot to kill police was little more than a stupid offhand comment.

If its worth it to defend stupidity that could cause us to lose FR then be my guest but stupid is stupid reguardless of legality.


49 posted on 06/04/2010 12:39:20 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: Gilbo_3

You’re right. So thank God for checkpoints.

Lots of people still breathing because of ‘em.


50 posted on 06/04/2010 12:39:30 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (PALIN/MCCAIN IN 2012 - barf alert? sarc tag? -- can't decide)
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To: FoxPro
grand-theft and kidnapping

just for starters...guess i got lucky, after blowing as hard as i could and got a .000 i was 'only' ticketed...at which point mrs g went ballistically and was nearly arrested for provoking the 'backup' cop to use his command voice and puff his chest...

ps, i fought the tickets and won...

51 posted on 06/04/2010 12:42:20 PM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: Responsibility2nd
thank God for checkpoints

forget yer sarc tag comrade ???

52 posted on 06/04/2010 12:43:32 PM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: Second Amendment First
"Everything that happened on the street that morning happened in a very short period of time," Gainer wrote. "There was no time to formulate this conspiracy to protect the defendant."

Going thru the academy together and working with each other for years prior gave plenty of time to formulate the "protect our brethren" behavior of the other cops.

53 posted on 06/04/2010 12:44:39 PM PDT by frogjerk (I believe in unicorns, fairies and pro-life Democrats.)
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To: cripplecreek

I wasn’t defending the comment. I only stated that it is a “natural response”.

And if FR is lost due to stupid comments, reckless comments, then apparently FR was too late in saving America. Let’s hope not.


54 posted on 06/04/2010 12:46:35 PM PDT by Professional
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To: FoxPro

I was towed myself. They couldn’t find anything to charge me with, so they charged me with trespassing. I was collecting signatures for a petition. I had all the relevant documents, id, etc. didn’t matter.

They are demanding a 700 dollar fine, (which I won’t pay), and a 150 dollar towing fee, which I will hopefully get reimbursed by the petition organisers.


55 posted on 06/04/2010 12:49:30 PM PDT by BenKenobi (I want to hear more about Sam! Samwise the stouthearted!)
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To: Cyman; a fool in paradise; All
From the article:

..."Prosecutors have said Ardelean, who was off duty, drank three beers and four shots at a River North bar just before the crash at Damen and Oakdale avenues that killed Lagunas, 21, and Flores, 22. But officers who had been on the scene later testified they had no indication Ardelean was drunk at the scene.

...A police supervisor at the district later ordered Ardelean to submit to a Breathalyzer, but Judge Thomas Gainer Jr. ruled in April that police had no probable cause arrest and detain him,let along force him to take the test, which did not show he was drunk.

...Gainer harshly criticized police Lt. John Magruder, who ordered Ardelean arrested a few hours after the crash, saying he had detected alcohol on his breath and noticed bloodshot eyes.

...None of the four police officers at the crash scene -- or a responding Chicago Fire Department emergency medical technician -- reported noticing any sign that Ardelean was drunk."

Sorry to quote so extensively from the original article, which is posted above! But emphasis added...leave us not rush to judgement, just because it's Chicago?!

They could all be lying, or they could all not be lying, which makes it no less of a tragedy, but the circumstances are not at all clear from the article how the officer happened to broadside the victims' car...i.e., who missed the stop sign or crossed the road?

56 posted on 06/04/2010 12:50:35 PM PDT by 88keys (they will pry my salt shaker from my cold dead hands)
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To: Gilbo_3

Sarc tag? Are you serious?

Oh. Now I see. I scanned upthread. Saw where you had a nasty enounter with a breathalyzer.

I see you are a drunk driver who likely applauds this cop getting away the murder of two innocents.

Deny if it you like.


57 posted on 06/04/2010 12:51:20 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (PALIN/MCCAIN IN 2012 - barf alert? sarc tag? -- can't decide)
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To: free me

“The Breathalyzer test administered eight hours after the crash showed Ardelean was well below that level at the time.”

Thanks I just read the original story from the Trib instead of just the summary. But quite frankly what is ALSO not in the summary was that the deceased blew through a stop sign and also had been drinking that night. In addition the article stated that the officer was traveling at 60mph( doesn’t say what was the posted speed limit on that road)and after passing another driver was back in his legal lane and had the legal right of way. Since he wasn’t charged with speeding(the article is mum on that), one would have to assume that the one and only charge could only have been a DUI. I don’t know if Illinois law permits the extrapolation of BAC levels modified by the time of the test since alcohol metabolization is pretty standard. So basically you have two drunk dead guys in a car that blew through a stop sign and were t-boned by another car.

Seems like the prosecutors came to a pretty rational decision based on what I am reading.


58 posted on 06/04/2010 12:52:21 PM PDT by Cyman
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To: Second Amendment First
Maybe it is now time for some street justice to play a role here.
59 posted on 06/04/2010 12:56:41 PM PDT by Ron H. ("Those Who Forget History Are Doomed to Repeat It" - George Santayana, U.S. philosopher, poet)
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To: Second Amendment First
"A court ruling in this case last month quashed Officer Ardelean's arrest and suppressed key blood alcohol evidence that would have been required to enable the prosecution to meet its burden of proof and proceed with the case in good faith."

"Quashed."

Southside Chicago for "we won and you didn't."

60 posted on 06/04/2010 12:57:30 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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