Protest against Adrian’s ruling in sexual assault case set for Thursday morning in Washington Park

QUINCY — A protest of Judge Robert Adrian’s ruling in January in the criminal sexual assault case against Drew Clinton has been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Washington Park.

Scheduled to attend are Carrie Ward, chief executive officer of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Megan Duesterhaus-AuBuchon, executive director of the Quincy Area Network Against Domestic Abuse (QUANADA); Cameron Vaughan, who testified about her experience in the case against Clinton; and Scott Vaughan, Cameron’s father.

After finding 18-year-old Clinton guilty of one count of criminal sexual assault during a bench trial on Oct. 15, Adrian changed his mind at Clinton’s sentencing hearing on Jan. 3 and declared him not guilty. Adrian said the 148 days Clinton served in the Adams County Jail was “plenty of punishment” and released him from custody.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asked the Illinois Supreme Court to order Adrian to impose a new sentence to Clinton. Raoul filed a mandamus complaint and a motion for supervisory order on Feb. 10, asking the Court to direct Adrian to sentence Clinton “in accordance with state law.”

However, the Illinois Supreme Court rejected the re-sentencing. An order from the justices, submitted March 3, said, “The double jeopardy clause prohibits further prosecution even where an acquittal is based on an egregiously erroneous foundation.”

A press release from the grassroots organization “Stand With Cammy” noted the ruling reversal has drawn focus to sexual assault awareness and victims’ rights advocacy in Quincy. The group seeks to reinstate Adrian’s original guilty verdict with no further prosecution of Clinton.

“It is the group’s belief (that) Adrian’s ruling reversal was an abuse of judicial power and has undermined the public’s confidence in the judiciary,” a press release from the group read. 

As of April 4, a Change.org petition asking for Adrian to be held accountable for his decision has garnered 175,216 signatures from around the world.