WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. - Not a few citizens of Williamson County are expressing dismay over the dismissal of charges last week in the case of a guy who caused an RV rollover last year in a hit-and-run.
And it's not just any guy; it's a county commissioner's kid, which is why people are upset.
In what appears to be the "two-tier" level of justice so frequently seen on the national level for political corruption, Craig Ellis, 33 of Marion, has had anything significant about the RV hit-and-run he was involved in last year dismissed in Williamson County Circuit Court.
He is the son of Williamson County Commissioner Ron Ellis, and the dismissal of anything serious charged against him last summer was the subject of hot debate when it happened, as it seems that Williamson County frequently engages in "buddy deals" when it comes to the law.
You can view our coverage of the matter from June 12 of last year at this link.
Court records show that Ellis was charged with - and these charges are followed by indication of dismissal - the following:
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - Dismissed
Driving on Suspended License - Dismissed
Leaving The Scene -No Disposition Available
Operating An Uninsured Motor Vehicle -Dismissed
Failure To Reduce Speed - No Disposition Available
Disregard Stop Sign - Dismissed
From 2017: Driving On Revoked License -Dismissed
Electronic Communication Device - Dismissed
While State's Attorney Brandon Zanotti is usually fair and level across the board when it comes to pursuing (or ultimately dismissing) crimes, this, in the opinion of many, just smacks of buddy deals, a terms that's been attached to many in Williamson County (and in particular, Marion) for a number of years, ever since it became apparent that TIF District and other such funds were being abused, this material breaking here at the website beginning circa 2013.
Zanotti just recently won re-election to the office, so he doesn't have to answer to any of it for another almost-four years. However, those "regular" citizens who are charged with similar traffic or other crimes are vowing that they're going to ask for the same "buddy deal" in upcoming hearings...as they're declaring that what's good for one should be good for all. And they're right.