Emergency officials test plan

From the Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Emergency officials test plan
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE – It started as a train engine derailment near Route 12 and Blivin Street in Spring Grove. As the scene unfolded, emergency officials learned that diesel fuel leaked from the train, the fuel contaminated the water, and the train intentionally was derailed by a domestic terrorist who claimed the incident was “God’s will.”

It was all part of a simulated disaster exercise that more than 20 officials from Spring Grove, Hebron, Richmond and the county participated in Thursday to test Spring Grove’s disaster reaction plan.

Each participant was assigned a role, and they sat around a round table acting as they would if the incident were happening.

“It’s a good thing to do these things to prepare,” said Richmond Police Chief John Fryksdale, who played the role of a public information officer.

After the exercise, the group discussed ways to improve their performance and continue to plan for disasters.

Bob Ellsworth, assistant director of McHenry County Emergency Management, stressed the importance of making sure that not every firefighter and police officer was at the scene, in case other emergencies occur.

“Somebody’s got to stay back and deal with the real world,” Ellsworth said.

Hebron Police Chief Dale Egland was among the participants. He said that although Hebron officials were willing to help, their distance from Spring Grove would cause a slow response time.

Spring Grove officials responded by suggesting that they improve their mutual aid agreements with nearby communities such as Round Lake and Wauconda.

The group also discussed which public officials can declare evacuations, and the challenges evacuations pose because Illinois doesn’t have mandatory evacuations.

“It’s a major problem,” said Spring Grove Fire Chief Rich Tobiasz, who led the event and played the role of a dispatcher. “Nobody wants to leave their home.”

Overall, participants seemed pleased with their performance.

“It’s good to ... build a foundation,” Fryksdale said.

Underage drinking charges dropped for SG teens

From the Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Underage drinking charges dropped for SG teens
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE – Charges were dropped Wednesday against at least seven teens who pleaded guilty to underage drinking at a February barn party in Spring Grove.

The dropped charges were part of a July deal involving good behavior, alcohol awareness classes, community service, and a monetary contribution to CrimeStoppers or Students Against Drunk Driving.

"The village made the decision to have the prosecution agreement, and the kids did what they were asked to do," said Mary Spiegel, village prosecutor. "That's what you like to see, both parties following what they agreed to do."

The teens were among 58 teens who were arrested after Spring Grove police discovered a barn party at 7119 S. Solon Road. Of the 58 teens, 22 were charged with underage drinking. The party host, an 18-year-old male from Spring Grove, was charged with underage possession of alcohol and allowing underage persons to consume alcohol.

Many of the teens pleaded guilty to the charges and subsequently received three-month driver’s license suspensions, as updated state law requires. However, neither Spring Grove Police Chief Tom Sanders nor the teens and their attorneys were aware the guilty plea meant license suspensions, so some of the teens were allowed to rescind their March guilty pleas in July.

The village agreed to drop the charges against some of the teens if they were first-time offenders, didn't receive any new arrests of any kind, registered for and completed 10 hours of alcohol awareness and education classes, completed 20 hours of public service work, and made a $50 contribution, Spiegel said.

"You can't help but learn when you have to take a 10-hour alcohol awareness class," Spiegel said.

Underage drinking charges were dropped against at least seven of the teens in McHenry Branch Court Wednesday, and against the party host. In August, charges also were dropped against at least one teen charged with underage drinking.

Charges against one teen were not dropped because he did not complete the terms of the agreement, Spiegel said. However, she said the number of other teens who kept their side of the agreement showed the deal was effective.

"The fact that so many kids ... complied with the strict terms of the agreement shows it was a success," she said.

Spring Grove teens get deal, keep licenses

From the Thursday, July 3, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove teens get deal, keep licenses
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Not only will some of the teens charged with underage drinking at a February barn party in Spring Grove be able to drive this summer, but the charges they face also might be dismissed in October.

Spring Grove police took 58 teens into custody in February after they discovered a barn party at 7119 S. Solon Road. Of the 58 teens, 22 were charged with underage drinking. Many of the teens received three-month driver’s license suspensions.

State law since January of this year states that any underage drinking conviction or guilty plea – even with supervision – results in driver’s license suspension by the Secretary of State’s Office.

However, their attorneys said the teens were not aware that their licenses would be suspended when they pleaded guilty – and Spring Grove Police Chief Tom Sanders has said publicly that neither was he.

On Wednesday in McHenry Branch Court, 12 of the teens who pleaded guilty were allowed to rescind the pleas that they entered in March.

All first-time offenders among the 12 in court Wednesday and the 10 others who were charged have been offered a deal involving good behavior, alcohol awareness classes, community service, and a monetary contribution to CrimeStoppers or Students Against Drunk Driving, village prosecutor Mary Spiegel said.

“We want to impress upon the kids that we can’t take this lightly,” she said. “This is a serious offense.”

Spiegel said that if the youths don’t receive any new arrests of any kind, register for and complete 10 hours of alcohol awareness and education classes, complete 20 hours of public service work, and make the $50 contribution, the charges will be dropped in October.

But if they aren’t first-time offenders or they fail to complete any of the terms of the agreement, they will be prosecuted, Spiegel said.

“This multi-faceted approach is a great way to impress upon these kids that this is serious, this cannot be treated lightly, and to educate them,” Spiegel said.

Spiegel said the village decided on this approach after investigating how other communities have dealt with underage drinking charges.

In court Wednesday, Judge James S. Cowlin advised the teens to “conduct yourselves in the appropriate manners in the future.”

He said he believed that the original consequences were appropriate after the teens pleaded guilty in March.

Spring Grove incident highlights new underage drinking rules

From the Monday, June 23, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove incident highlights new underage drinking rules
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Too bad it wasn't a Christmas party.

If the teens who pleaded guilty to underage drinking at a February barn party in Spring Grove had committed the same actions before January 2008, they would not be facing three-month driver's license suspensions.

Spring Grove police took 58 teens into custody in February after they discovered a barn party at 7119 S. Solon Road. Of the 58 teens, 22 were charged with underage drinking. At least 11 of those teens pleaded guilty to underage drinking charges.

Before 2008, only vehicle-related underage drinking offenses were reported to the Secretary of State's office - which meant those were the only offenses that resulted in driver's license suspensions.

Non-driving offenses were only reported if the underage drinker failed to complete court supervision, said Rick Winkel, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law.

But Illinois law changed in January 2008, and now every underage drinking conviction is reported to the Secretary of State's office - which means any underage drinking guilty plea or conviction results in driver's license suspensions, Winkel said.

Whether the offense is vehicle related and when the driver received their license does not matter under the new law.

"If there is any alcohol, there is a suspension for underage drivers," said Dave Druker, spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State's office.

Druker said, however, the suspensions disappear from the teens' public driving records - the record that insurance companies access - when the suspension ends.

"That makes it easier to swallow," said Heidi Parsons of Johnsburg, 50.

But Parsons said she believed local police were too rigorous about enforcing underage drinking laws.

"It's almost like they're trying to put us back in the prohibition," she said. "There's not a lot of stuff for kids to do around here."

For Jenny Majewski, mother of a 16-year-old driver's permit holder, the law is not too much to ask.

"There's too much [underage drinking] going on here," she said. "We certainly don't need that on the streets."

Majewski grew up in Spring Grove and lives in neighboring Johnsburg.

Her 16-year-old son, Tom, did not feel as strongly.

"It depends on the circumstances," he said. If the teens had intended to drive home that night, he said he would support the suspensions.

Spring Grove teens try to avert license penalty

From the Thursday, June 19, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove teens try to avert license penalty
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE - At least three teens who pleaded guilty to underage drinking at a February barn party in Spring Grove are attempting to avoid drivers' license suspensions by rescinding their guilty pleas.

The teens appeared Wednesday in McHenry Branch Court with their attorneys. Because the teens were "not aware of the consequences" of pleading guilty - namely license suspension - the teens' attorneys have filed motions for them to vacate their March guilty pleas.

When asked how many of the 22 originally charged are involved in current efforts to reverse the license suspensions, Spring Grove village prosecutor Mary Spiegel declined to comment.

The teens' surprise at the suspensions were echoed by Spring Grove Police Chief Tom Sanders, who said last week "that was not my understanding of what was going on and not at all what I proposed to have happen."

The Spring Grove Police Department now has seven days to determine whether it will agree to let the teens vacate their pleas.

In court Wednesday, Judge James S. Cowlin asked Spiegel about the motions.

Spiegel said she "did not agree but did not reject" the motions - a response that Cowlin said was "inconsistent."

The teens originally were forced to pay $215 and have 100 days of court supervision.

Cowlin said he had given the teens the "most lenient" sentences possible and emphasized the importance of punishment: "Kids won't drink if they lose their license," he said in court.

If the teens are allowed to vacate their pleas, they might be able to avoid drivers' license suspensions if the underage drinking charges are dismissed, they are tried and found not guilty, or the charges are amended to not be alcohol-related, said Ed Donahue, a McHenry lawyer who has worked with similar cases for more than 16 years.

Sanders said that when the teens were charged, his goal was to "send a strong message" about underage drinking and that he was "a little unsure" why the Secretary of State's office was notified of the teens' charges.

Illinois law regarding underage drinking changed in January. Before 2008, the Secretary of State's office was not notified of underage drinkers who pleaded guilty or were convicted of underage drinking if they successfully completed court supervision, said David Dring, a spokesman for Illinois Rep. Tom Cross, who was at the helm at the change in legislation.

Since January, the Secretary of State's office suspends the drivers' licenses of all underage drinkers regardless of the completion of supervision.

The teens will reappear in McHenry Branch Court July 2.

The teens older than 16 whose licenses face pending three-month suspensions starting June 29 are: Misaque A. Ducy, 17, of 7103 Johnsburg Road, Spring Grove; Corey Passage, 17, of 1731 Lehman Ave., Algonquin; Jessica A. Jensen, 17, of 49 Marvin St., Fox Lake; Michelle A. Weber, 17, of 5215 Nippersink Drive, Richmond; Michael J. Sheets, 17, of 7417 Keystone Road, Richmond; Gregory J. Lancaster, 17, of 2502 Elk Drive, Spring Grove; Samuel M. Towne, 17, of 7208 Hillside Drive, Spring Grove; and Patrick N. O'Brien, 17, of 221 Pheasant Trail, Lake in the Hills.

Towne, Ducy and a juvenile were in court Wednesday.

Spring Grove police say teens' driver's licenses shouldn't be suspended

From the Wednesday, June 18, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove police say teens' driver's licenses shouldn't be suspended
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE - The driver's licenses of at least six of the 22 teenagers charged with underage drinking at a February barn party in Spring Grove are to be suspended.

The Spring Grove police chief, however, thinks that the suspensions are too harsh a penalty for the underage drinkers, and an attorney is working on altering the outcome.

"We were very clear we didn't want anybody's license suspended," Spring Grove Police Chief Tom Sanders said. "Our intention was never to get their licenses suspended."

The teens who have received notices that their licenses would be suspended either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of the underage drinking charges. At least six were forced to pay $215 and got 100 days of court supervision.

Spring Grove police took 58 teens into custody in February after they discovered a barn party at 7119 S. Solon Road. Of the 58 teens, 22 were charged with underage drinking.

In Illinois, whether the charge is filed under local ordinance, an underage drinking conviction means automatic license suspension.

Since 1995, Illinois law has stated that drivers younger than 21 who "are caught with any trace of alcohol in their systems will lose their driving privileges," according to the Illinois Secretary of State Web site, cyberdriveillinois.com.

The attorney handling the case for the Spring Grove Police Department, Mary Spiegel of the Ancel Glink law firm, called the suspensions "unfortunate."

"We are looking into ways to take care of it," Spiegel said late last week.

However, the secretary of state's office said such efforts might be futile.

"The problem is it's a zero-tolerance situation," said Dave Druker, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office.

Druker said the secretary of state can't make any "arbitrary choice" about whose licenses are suspended or not suspended.

"We follow what the law says," Druker said.