Court Call: Some of this week's court cases
LEE COUNTY
Today
HOMICIDE CASE: Byron E. Adams, 54, of Chicago; charged with three counts of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and misdemeanor criminal trespass to a vehicle. Police say Adams suffocated Margaret Atherton, 35, on Sept. 11, 2009, in her Dixon home.
On the docket: Hearing on the prosecution’s motion to allow the jury to hear testimony about Adams’ 1981 rape conviction at his Aug. 13 trial.
Tuesday
SEX ABUSE CASE: John T. Sheridan, 20, of Dixon; charged with misdemeanor criminal sexual abuse. Police say Sheridan had inappropriate sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl in April.
On the docket: Pretrial conference,
Wednesday
DRUG CASE: Earl A. Jones , 29, of Chicago; charged with delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine, and two counts of criminal drug conspiracy. Police say Jones and another man sold less than a gram of cocaine to an informant on March 13.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
SEX ABUSE CASE: Richard D. Nelson, 71, of Harmon; charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Police say Nelson sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in 2010.
On the docket: Preliminary hearing.
CHILD PORN CASE: Ronald N. Osborn, 61, of rural Dixon; charged with six counts of aggravated child pornography. Police say a search of Osborn’s computer on June 13 turned up multiple images of child pornography.
On the docket: Preliminary hearing.
WHITESIDE COUNTY
Wednesday
DRUG CASE: Juan P. Amezola, 33, of Dixon; charged with delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, and delivery of between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine. Police say Amezola sold roughly $5,600 worth of cocaine to an informant in 2009.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
DRUG CASE: Rogelio Amezola, 35, of Sterling; charged with delivery of between 100 and 400 grams of cocaine. Police say he sold 173 grams of cocaine to an informant in May. (He and Juan Amezola are brothers.)
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY CASE: Aaron “A.J.” Buser, 36, of Rock Falls; charged with residential burglary. Police say Buser went into a Rock Falls house on Dec. 27 and stole Vicodin.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
BATTERY TO A CHILD CASE: Marcus J. Dewey, 20, of Franklin Grove; charged with aggravated battery to a child. Police say Dewey severely injured a child younger that 13 on Oct. 16.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
THEFT CASE: Bonnie A. Dittmar, 41, of Sterling; charged with theft of more than $100,000 and nine counts of forgery. Police say she took $$111,102.99 from Waugh Foods Inc. of East Peoria between March 2006 and May 2009, while she was a food rep selling products to local restaurants.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
THEFT CASE: James F. Driscoll, 52, of Fulton; charged with aggravated possession of stolen vehicles; six counts of possession of a vehicle without a vehicle identification number; nine counts of possession of a stolen vehicle; and five counts of theft. Police say they recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen farm equipment at his Fulton property on March 25.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
DRUG CASE: Michael A. Fox, 30, of Chicago; charged with delivery of between 1 and 15 grams of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park and possession of between 1 and 15 grams of cocaine. Police say they found 7.2 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale, and plastic baggies during a raid of his Sixth Avenue house in Rock Falls on Sept. 8.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
SEX ABUSE CASE: Jesse L. Hall, 28, of Rock Falls; charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Police say Hall had sex with a child between the ages of 13 and 17 in 2009.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
HOME INVASION/TRESPASS CASE: Zachary M. Kinison, 19, of Sterling; charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. Police say Kinison took a friend’s car without permission on Dec. 18 and later ditched it.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
ARMED ROBBERY CASE: Joshua E. Messenger, 25, of Rock Falls; charged with armed robbery. Police say Messenger and another man robbed a Sterling gas station on May 22, 2011, with a knife.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY/TRESPASSING CASE: Erik J. Morales, 27, of Sterling; charged with criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to a residence. Police say Morales, who was intoxicated, mistakenly broke into a Sterling home in the 100 block East Eighth Street Dec. 4 and was confronted by the homeowner.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
RECKLESS HOMICIDE/DUI CASE: Chad E. Morse, 40, of Rock Falls; charged with two counts each of aggravated DUI and misdemeanor DUI alcohol, and three counts of reckless homicide. Police say Morse killed a 33-year-old pedestrian in a drunken driving accident on Nov. 26.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
DUI/ECSTASY CASE: Penny J. Schmidt, 24, of Rock Falls; charged with DUI, possession of Ecstasy, leaving the scene of a property-damage accident, misdemeanor resisting a peace officer, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving while license suspended, and driving with no insurance. Police say Schmidt was high on Ecstasy when she drove her car into four mailboxes in Rock Falls on March 20.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
ARMED ROBBERY CASE: Alexis M. Velazquez, 20, of Rock Falls; charged with armed robbery, residential burglary, and criminal trespass to a residence. Police say Velazquez and five other people assaulted an 18-year-old Sterling man in his apartment on Dec. 20 and stole his wallet and other items.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
TRESPASS TO A RESIDENCE CASE: Davia B. Velazquez, 19, of Sterling; charged with criminal trespass to a residence. Police say Velazquez and five other people pushed their way into an 18-year-old Sterling man’s apartment on Dec. 20, assaulted him, and stole his wallet and other items. (She and Alexis M. Velazquez are cousins.)
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
SHOOTING CASE: Jeremy L. Williams, 19, of Rochelle; charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm. Police say that on Nov. 6, Williams and two other men shot up a house at 1207 Second Ave. in Sterling after they were asked to leave a party there.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
