Skip to content
Illinois Supreme Court considers constitutional questions in 2019 murder case
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
The Illinois Supreme Court this spring will decide whether law enforcement should have read a woman her Miranda rights during an investigation into her son’s death.
Macon County mother Jessica Logan and her legal team hope to overturn her 2021 conviction in which a jury found her guilty of murdering her 19-month-old son. They argue key evidence in her trial was used in violation of her Miranda and constitutional rights.
Miranda rights are named for a landmark 1966 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona, in which the court ruled law enforcement must identify certain constitutional protections to people in custody. The decision protects peoples’ right to remain silent, and to have an attorney, among other things.
The evidence in question includes a reenactment video of Logan finding her son’s body, and audio from recorded phone calls with her sons’ father.
Logan’s legal counsel argued she was coerced into creating the reenactment video and should have been read her Miranda rights before participating in it.
The prosecution, however, claimed Logan could have declined to participate and was not detained, which meant reading Miranda rights to her was unnecessary.
The high court heard arguments Tuesday. It could be several months before a ruling.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
Illinois News
Classifieds
Rep. Haas Hosts Fourth Valentines for Vets
Spread the loveState Rep. Jackie Haas is launching her fourth annual “Valentines for Veterans” program for local veterans. Cards may be dropped off at Rep. Haas’ district office, 370 E. Court Street in Kankakee, through Monday, February 12. The cards will be delivered to veterans residing at the Manteno Veterans Home in time for Valentine’s…
CM 201-U Unveils New South Wing Addition for Bridges Program
Spread the loveCrete-Monee School District 201-U recently unveiled its newly constructed south wing addition to house the Bridges program. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Tuesday, January 9, with CM 201-U administration, staff, the Board of Education, and local dignitaries participating in the event. Previously located at the Monee Education Center, 5154 Main Street in Monee,…
Crete Creates Ordinance Regarding Unscheduled Buses
Spread the loveBy Karen Haave The Crete Village Board has approved an ordinance establishing regulations for unscheduled intercity buses, and the discharge of passengers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of residents and visitors to the Village of Crete. Like those being passed in numerous other area villages, the ordinance sets strict criteria needed…
Fire Inspections Still a Hot Topic In Beecher
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva It didn’t take Beecher Police Officer Dylan Lorek too long to get in the good graces of the village board. Lorek, who was sworn in on April 10, was lauded by Mayor Marcy Meyer at the January 8 village board meeting for an incident on December 7 in which he…
Monee Strolls Will Get a Little Safer Soon Thanks to Sidewalk Improvement Program
Spread the loveBy Karen Haave Monee residents who enjoy walking the village will find their strolls a little safer soon, thanks to a sidewalk improvement program approved by the board of trustees last week. The issue was initially suggested by Trustee Douglas Horne during the board’s December meeting. He noted at that time he and…
Chess League at Kankakee Public Library
Spread the loveLooking for a place to hone your chess skills and enjoy a bit of competition along the way? A new season of the library’s regular chess league will launch at the Kankakee Public Library, 201 E. Merchant Street, on Saturday, January 20, beginning at 10 a.m. A one-time entry fee of $30 is…
Beecher Superintendent Gaham Believes Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Numbers were crunched and chomped, spit out, and analyzed. But the bottom line is that Beecher 200U is pretty much in line with the rest of the state in reading, below in math, but ahead in science, according to the recently released state report cards. At the district’s January 8…
Peotone Scraps Food and Beverage Tax
Spread the loveBy Andrea Arens A proposed ordinance to add a 1 percent food and beverage tax on all prepared foods within village limits was removed from the agenda late Monday, just before the Peotone Village Board meeting. Word of the proposed tax made it to social media Saturday, and it sparked outcry from business…
New Year, New Weather
Spread the loveBy Andrea Arens The New Year started off mild, but it wasn’t long before the winter storm hit. Peotone saw more snow in just the beginning of this winter (13.3 inches) compared to all of last winter (11.9 inches, data from peotoneweather.com). Of course the timing wasn’t great either; it hit just for…
Joyce Kicks-Off Seniors’ Valentine’s Day Card Drive
Spread the loveIn an effort spread love and uplift the spirits of seniors in the 40th District, State Sen. Patrick Joyce invites residents of all ages to get creative and donate homemade or store-bought valentines. “This card drive is an opportunity for every member of our community to come together and show appreciation for our…
Kankakee Declares Itself a Non-Sanctuary County
Spread the loveBy Stephen Nelson At its meeting on Tuesday, January 9, the Kankakee County Board passed a resolution declaring Kankakee County is a non-sanctuary immigration county. Board Chairman Andy Wheeler said “so the State of Illinois takes away our ability to be a part of a system that upholds the law, but now the…
Riverside Welcomes Katherine LeClear, FNP-BC, to Immediate Care Providers
Spread the loveRiverside Healthcare is pleased to welcome immediate care provider Katherine LeClear, FNP-BC, who completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Saint Francis in Joliet. She then received her Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner Degree, at Lewis University in Romeoville. Immediate care is intended to provide…
Monee Police Blotter: January 3 – 7
Spread the loveJanuary 3, at approximately 11:36 p.m., Monee Police Officers discovered an unoccupied vehicle at Main Street just east of Egyptian Trail, with obvious signs of being involved in an accident. Officers conducted an investigation that resulted in the arrest of Kaitlyn Schmidt, 28, of Monee, for leaving the scene of an accident. Schmidt…
Beecher Police Blotter: December 19 – January 1
Spread the loveDisclaimer: Charges against each defendant are merely accusations, with all defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. December 19, Terry Stinnett, 54, of the 12600 block of Tall Oaks Drive, Cedar Lake, Indiana, was stopped at Dixie Highway and Miller Street for having an obstructed license plate, which the…
Investigation Results in Monee Arrests
Spread the loveOn Wednesday, January 10, at approximately 6 a.m., Monee Police Investigators, along with Illinois Department of Corrections Parole Agents, conducted a joint investigation in the 5400 block of W. Mulberry Lane, Monee. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Melissa Weeks, 44, and Gabriel Alvarez, 21. Weeks was charged with possession of a…
