Adrian wins retention vote

QUINCY — With all eight counties in the Eighth Judicial Circuit reporting final tallies, Judge Robert K. Adrian will retain his seat as a Circuit Judge in Illinois’ 8th Judicial Circuit.

The judge needed 60 percent of the vote in order to be retained and Adrian has 28,915 “yes” votes and 18,045 “no”votes, for about 62 percent.

Judge Scott Larson of Quincy, who was also on the ballot, had no problem in winning his bid for retention.

In January, Adrian made a controversial decision when he chose to overturn the conviction of 18-year-old Drew Clinton, whom he had found guilty of criminal sexual assault in October 2021. Clinton faced a minimum of four years in prison, but Adrian said the 148 nights he spent in jail was “plenty of punishment” and a “just sentence”.

The victim, Cammy Vaughan, who was 16 at the time of her encounter with Clinton in May 2021, spoke out publicly following Adrian’s decision. The story went viral, gaining national media attention.

Adams County, which is the largest county in the circuit and also Adrian’s home county, was the only one of the eight counties he lost, falling 12,302 to 11,829. He managed to surpass 60 percent in the other seven counties and even hit the 80 percent mark in Menard and Mason Counties.

Adrian still has a pending complaint filed by the Illinois Courts Commission’s Judicial Inquiry Board. The Board has charging him with “conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice” and a ruling is expected before the end of the year.