Drew Clinton
QUINCY — The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) has recommended that former Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Robert Adrian should be suspended for two years and until further order of the Illinois Supreme Court. The recommendation for Adrian’s discipline was made after an Oct. 28 video conference of a hearing board panel consisting of:…
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QUINCY — Robert Adrian has until July 31 to respond to a complaint filed with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) on June 25 that recommends the former Eighth Judicial Circuit judge be disciplined. Adrian said Friday that the ARDC shouldn’t hold its breath. “It’s a waste of everybody’s time,” he said Friday…
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(This article appeared April 17 in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. It is reprinted here with permission.) “The law that applies to this case is stated in these instructions, and it is your duty to follow all of them.” So states Illinois Pattern jury instruction 1.01(2), which the judge reads to the jurors in every…
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With Robert Adrian being removed from his position as a judge in Illinois’ Eighth Judicial Circuit late on a Friday afternoon, it’s taken a few days for the national media to get wind of the case. Muddy River News spoke with both Adrian and the woman involved in the Drew Clinton case, Cameron Vaughan, last…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Even after his removal as Eighth Circuit judge by the Illinois Courts Commission on Friday, Robert Adrian maintained his innocence in an interview late Friday afternoon with Muddy River News and called the ruling a “total political hit job.” Adrian found Drew Clinton, 18, guilty of felony criminal sexual assault following a three-day bench trial…
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I would like to address misconceptions Adams County Circuit Judge Robert Adrian allows our community to believe in order to save his own pelt. First, in the state of Illinois, any person younger than 17 years of age is under no circumstances ever allowed to consent to sexual activity. In some states, there is a…
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CHICAGO — Mike Deno called Eighth Circuit Judge Robert Adrian’s explanation for why he reversed his guilty verdict in the Drew Clinton sexual assault trial “not believable,” refuting Adrian’s claim he changed his mind because Clinton wasn’t guilty and instead said Adrian tried to circumvent the law to avoid giving him a mandatory prison sentence.…
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CHICAGO — When testifying to the Illinois Courts Commission about Eighth District Judge Robert Adrian’s experience and knowledge in the 13 years he’s been on the bench in Adams County, Quincy attorney Drew Schnack took the opportunity to make a pitch to the seven commissioners. “It would be tragic to lose Judge Adrian,” Schnack said…
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CHICAGO — Asked what he thought about his hearing before the Illinois Courts Commission, which ended Wednesday afternoon, Eighth Circuit Judge Robert Adrian’s response was simple. “I have no idea,” he replied. The two-day hearing wrapped up with the testimony of three prosecution witnesses and one defense witness, along with closing arguments. Other than when…
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CHICAGO — Eighth Circuit Judge Robert Adrian said he made a “rookie mistake” when he found Drew Clinton guilty in a sexual assault case, then repeatedly admitted he made errors when he reversed his decision during a sentencing hearing on Jan. 3, 2022. “It’s hard to admit you make a mistake in a lot of…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — A three-day hearing before the Illinois Courts Commission for Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Robert Adrian is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lewis Nixon picked this week for the trial during a video conference in April. Adrian found Drew Clinton,…
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CHICAGO — Life is much simpler these days for Cameron Vaughan. She’s now living in Joplin, Mo., near her grandmother, Dorothy Shutter. She has moved in with her boyfriend, Matthew Sharp, and together they take care of a cat and a Husky dog. When she visits the grocery store, goes to dinner or works her…
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QUINCY — A Michigan man who was found not guilty by a Quincy judge of criminal sexual assault in 2021 had a request for the records in his case to be expunged denied by a different judge. Drew Clinton, 19, of Taylor, Mich., appeared before Judge Roger Thomson for Wednesday’s hearing in Adams County Circuit…
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I would like to respond to the opinion letter written by Kate Daniels, chairman of the Adams County Democratic Party, as well as others. It is not surprising she does not like me speaking out about the Drew Clinton case, because once the truth is known, it will be obvious that this is a political attack…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Cammy Vaughan was in the front of the line Tuesday afternoon. She was part of 25 or so people who wanted to protest Judge Robert Adrian’s announcement that he intends to stay on the bench. Vaughan was the young woman who went public after Adrian had overturned the sexual assault conviction of Drew Clinton,…
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QUINCY — Robert Adrian, who is subject to a complaint from the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, will announce his intention Tuesday to seek retention as a judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Adrian sent an email to local media Saturday morning. He will kick off his campaign at 5 p.m. Tuesday in front of the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board filed a complaint on Friday against Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Robert K. Adrian. Adrian found Drew Clinton, 18, guilty of felony criminal sexual assault following a bench trial in October 2021, but then on Jan. 3, Adrian vacated Clinton’s conviction, resulting in Clinton being released from the Adams…
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QUINCY — The Illinois Supreme Court’s recent decision to reject the re-sentencing of a local criminal sexual assault case hasn’t deterred a local grassroots organization. “Stand With Cammy” held a peaceful protest during the noon hour Thursday in downtown Quincy in support of Cameron Vaughan. The Quincy teenager spoke out against Drew Clinton, who was…
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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…
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The Illinois Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha to have Drew Clinton re-sentenced. An order from the justices, submitted Thursday by clerk Cynthia Grant, said, “The double jeopardy clause prohibits further prosecution even where an acquittal is based on an egregiously erroneous foundation.” After finding 18-year-old Clinton guilty…
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QUINCY — Cameron Vaughan has been in the news quite often in the past month since she decided to speak out about Judge Robert Adrian’s reversal of his decision to find Drew Clinton guilty of one count of criminal sexual assault. Vaughan, who turns 17 in March, is in her final year as a student…
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QUINCY — Drew Schnack thought Wednesday’s interview of 16-year-old Cameron Vaughan of Quincy on the syndicated “Dr. Phil” talk show was “well done.” However, the Quincy attorney representing 18-year-old Drew Clinton, who was found guilty in October of criminal sexual assault but released in January after an Adams County judge reversed his verdict, had a…
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A public protest of Judge Robert Adrian’s reversal of a ruling in a criminal sexual assault case will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in Washington Park. Expected to speak at the protest are Cameron Barnes, national youth director of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Kathy Entrup, president of the board of directors with QUANADA (Quincy…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The national spotlight will once again shine on Quincy and the decision by a local judge to overturn a guilty verdict in a sexual assault case. Cameron Vaughan, the 16-year-old Quincy High School student who claimed she was raped by 18-year-old Drew Clinton last summer, will appear Wednesday on “Dr. Phil,” which airs…
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QUINCY — Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha said he will be taking steps to put the Drew Clinton criminal sexual assault case back in front of a judge for sentencing after speaking Wednesday morning with a state official. Farha said he participated in a phone conference with David Robinson, the chief deputy director at…
Read Full Article January 14, 2025
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