SO. ILL. - There are several news reports from around the area that are just briefs, basically, so we decided to fold them all in to a post for you so we could catch you up and so you don't miss out on anything just because it's short!
Early-morning traffic stop in Carmi
Rasheem Jemine
The first comes from out of Carmi, where early this morning (at 12:17 a.m. today, Wednesday, June 6), a traffic stop was effected on Oak Street at Seventh.
There, it was discovered that one Rasheem Jemine, 25, of a rural address in Carmi, was driving on a suspended license and he was arrested and toted off to the city/county jail, where he was able to post $150 cash bond to secure his release.
Part-time officer makes arrest in Palestine
Palestine Police Chief Jeff Besing has announced that one of his officers has made an arrest, this occurring yesterday.
Besing said that Palestine part-time Police Officer Isaiah Osborne initiated a vehicle stop on a suspected suspended driver at approximately 12:00 p.m. yesterday (June 5) resulting in the arrest of a Palestine woman.
Kacie R. Smith, 32 of Palestine, was arrested and charged with Driving While Suspended and Operation of an Uninsured Motor Vehicle.
Smith was transported to the Crawford County Jail where she was processed and held pending bond.
Judge opts to not compound tragedy
Charles R. Wood
An elderly man from Salem who attempted to kill his elderly wife earlier this year has been found not criminally responsible for his alleged crimes.
Charles Wood, 69, was accused of attempting to kill his wife in January after he'd called 911 to tell authorities he'd overdosed his wife on insulin in an attempt to end her suffering from Alzheimer's and other health conditions. He was charged with Class X Attempted Murder, and Class 2 Aggravated Battery of a Victim Over the Age of 60. His wife, who's not been named in published reports, survived the situation.
However, the issue of fitness, ever so much on people's minds these days since the whole Glen Ramey thing, was raised, and this time, there was pretty good reason. Wood was examined and it was determined that Wood was unfit to stand trial, was not criminally responsible for the incident that lead to the commission of the crimes, and that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. In a bench trial yesterday (June 5), Judge Mark Stedelin determined that while the state had proven its case - that Wood had done what he was accused of - Wood was not guilty by reason of insanity, and Wood needed to be evaluated by the Department of Human Services so that a treatment plan for him could be developed.
The court will reconvene in Marion County on July 17 for a status hearing.