Judge Stiehl Recuses In Drug And Weapons Case Against Ex-Judge Cook
From the Belleville News-Democrat
The federal drug case against former St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael Cook will be heard by a judge from outside the jurisdiction of the Southern District of Illinois.
U.S. District Court Judge William Stiehl, a Republican, on Wednesday removed himself from the controversial case where Cook, a Democrat, is charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly possessing heroin and a felony count of being a heroin user while in possession of a firearm. He has admitted in court to being addicted to heroin and was released on bond without being required to put up any cash after he agreed to attend an out-of-state treatment center. Cook has pleaded not guilty and faces trial scheduled to begin Oct. 1.
The case was temporarily reassigned to Chief Judge David Herndon, also a Democrat. He said on Thursday that after informally polling the other judges in the Southern District, he determined, "They all would recuse themselves."
Herndon said he did not know why Stiehl removed himself from the case. Stiehl could not be reached for comment. A federal judge is not required to state why he recuses himself.
Herndon said he has written a letter to Frank Easterbrook, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago and the chief judge for the federal 7th Circuit in Illinois, to reassign a federal judge to the case from outside the Southern District.
"I have absolutely no idea who he will assign," Herndon said and added that a replacement judge would be appointed solely to hear the case against Cook. The proceedings would still be held in East St. Louis, he said.
U.S. Attorney Stephen Wigginton, who attended the court proceedings against Cook, declined to comment on Stiehl's recusal.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Belleville News-Democrat
The federal drug case against former St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael Cook will be heard by a judge from outside the jurisdiction of the Southern District of Illinois.
U.S. District Court Judge William Stiehl, a Republican, on Wednesday removed himself from the controversial case where Cook, a Democrat, is charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly possessing heroin and a felony count of being a heroin user while in possession of a firearm. He has admitted in court to being addicted to heroin and was released on bond without being required to put up any cash after he agreed to attend an out-of-state treatment center. Cook has pleaded not guilty and faces trial scheduled to begin Oct. 1.
The case was temporarily reassigned to Chief Judge David Herndon, also a Democrat. He said on Thursday that after informally polling the other judges in the Southern District, he determined, "They all would recuse themselves."
Herndon said he did not know why Stiehl removed himself from the case. Stiehl could not be reached for comment. A federal judge is not required to state why he recuses himself.
Herndon said he has written a letter to Frank Easterbrook, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago and the chief judge for the federal 7th Circuit in Illinois, to reassign a federal judge to the case from outside the Southern District.
"I have absolutely no idea who he will assign," Herndon said and added that a replacement judge would be appointed solely to hear the case against Cook. The proceedings would still be held in East St. Louis, he said.
U.S. Attorney Stephen Wigginton, who attended the court proceedings against Cook, declined to comment on Stiehl's recusal.
Read more in our daily News Update...