Gary Farha
QUINCY — Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha recently announced changes in the state’s attorney’s office. Laura Keck, who has been with the state’s attorney’s office since November 2012, was promoted to lead trial attorney. She replaces Josh Jones, who started his new job as an associate judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit in July. Jones and…
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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…
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QUINCY — The Adams County Public Defender’s office has not accepted new felony cases since Oct. 10 and won’t accept new cases in November because the department is operating without three attorneys and the caseloads of current staff members are excessive, according to Todd Nelson, chief public defender. Nelson sent a letter to six circuit…
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The Adams County State’s Attorney’s office deservedly received local and national accolades for its swift prosecution and ability to get a conviction following Becky Bliefnick’s murder at the hands of her estranged husband, Tim. That case, as heart and gut-wrenching as it was to the community, certainly put State’s Attorney Gary Farha and his team…
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QUINCY — The case against a Daytona Beach, Fla., woman charged with theft was dismissed in Adams County Circuit Court on Tuesday morning. State’s Attorney Gary Farha made a motion to dismiss the case, and Judge Tad Brenner agreed. The case was dismissed because of the death of the complaining witness in the case. Bob…
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QUINCY — The smiles on the faces of Paul and Joan Mast showed how excited they were to provide a drug dog to the Adams County Sheriff’s Department. Seeing the dog also brought back memories. Major, a silver tipped German Shepherd, was publicly introduced to a gathering of friends and family on Thursday night at…
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QUINCY — Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha said he wasn’t surprised with this week’s Illinois Supreme Court ruling that upheld a state law to virtually eliminate no cash bail. Farha said his office was told on Friday the action was coming. He said the Illinois General Assembly made amendments to the law during last…
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QUINCY — A Quincy man facing three counts of murder since 2019 had been hospitalized in Blessing Hospital since the week of May 15, but he was released Monday as the charges against him were dropped. Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha says Carlos Williams is a free man because the cost to keep him…
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Quincy and Adams County Republicans jammed the lower level of Tower Pizza and Mexican Thursday night as Todd Eyler officially kicked off his campaign to be Adams County’s next state’s attorney. The man currently holding that title, Gary Farha, officially handed the baton to his first assistant when he spoke before the partisan crowd. Farha…
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QUINCY — An Adams County grand jury did not return criminal indictments against Adams County Sheriff’s Department officers involved in the Feb. 9 shooting death of Bradley Havermale. Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha issued a statement Friday saying his office also reviewed the incident and the evidence collected through the investigation. ” … The…
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QUINCY — Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates said the evidence in the case of Rebecca Bliefnick’s death pointed Quincy Police detectives in the direction of her estranged husband after days of conducting the investigation. “We looked at all leads and information from the public, and after following the evidence, this is what led to the…
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A town hall meeting about the SAFE-T act was held Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022 at John Wood Community College. Speakers were Justin Oliver, sheriff of Brown County; Adam Yates, chief of the Quincy Police Department; Todd Eyler and Gary Farha with the state’s attorney’s office in Adams County; and State Sen. Jil Tracy. This video…
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QUINCY — Adam Yates, chief of the Quincy Police Department, offered a story about a homeowner with a pool to help illustrate the flaws of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) criminal justice reform act. “It’s summertime, you’re out in your backyard, and there’s someone in your swimming pool who you don’t recognize,” he…
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QUINCY — Jason Priest appeared in Adams County Circuit Court on Friday morning after the Adams County State’s Attorney’s office filed a motion this week for bond to be modified or increased in cases against him. Priest also was making a first appearance on two other court cases. However, the hearing was continued to Monday…
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QUINCY — An assistant state’s attorney for Adams County was let go last week after working for just four months, and the verdicts in three parental rights cases he tried in juvenile court this summer were vacated because he was not licensed to practice law in Illinois. Pruitt Holcombe, who came to Quincy in April…
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QUINCY — Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha recently hired two assistant state’s attorneys. Pruitt Holcombe from Florence, Ala., and Ryan Parker of Quincy are replacing Anita Rodriguez, who retired in June after a 35-year career, and Jamie Frey, who left in August 2021 to take a position in Springfield with the Administrator’s Office of…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A settlement has been reached in the 2017 civil lawsuit filed by Curtis Lovelace and other Lovelace family members against several members of the Quincy Police Department, Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha, former Adams County Coroner James Keller, the city of Quincy and Adams County. Details of the settlement or financial…
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QUINCY — A resolution to authorize incentives for new residential constructions west of 12th Street between Harrison and Locust was approved during Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting. However, an amendment to that resolution that would also have offered those incentives to residential constructions east of 12th Street did not. The resolution called for waiving water…
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Mark and Chris Lawrence are countersuing charity’s board of directors, claiming accusations are false. QUINCY — Mark Lawrence made his first appearance in Adams County Circuit Court on Wednesday morning after he was arrested on two theft charges following an indictment by an Adams County grand jury on May 12. Lawrence is charged with theft…
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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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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is going to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to order Adams County Circuit Judge Robert Adrian to impose a new sentence to Drew Clinton. Raoul today filed a mandamus complaint and a motion for supervisory order asking the Court to direct Adrian to sentence Clinton “in accordance with state law.”…
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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…
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The attorney representing the former directors of the 2×4’s For Hope charity has once again asked for additional time before making another court appearance A case management conference scheduled for Monday in the civil case of 2×4’s for Hope vs. Mark and Chris Lawrence was postponed to February 1, 2022. The Lawrence’s must either enter…
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MRN Publisher/GM Bob Gough talks with Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha. Muddy River News This Week Furnished by Harvey’s.
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There are times when a State’s Attorney has discretion in enforcing laws. School districts also have discretion as to who they allow into their buildings for certain reasons. Quincy and Adams County are suffering because of both of these facts. Adams County Public Health Administrator Jerrod Welch has done what he has thought is right…
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