Politics & Government

Out-of-Town Judge Getting Pol's 'Intimate' Pic Case

Former Will County Board member Kathleen Konicki's "intimate" photo case is going to a judge from another county.

An out-of-town judge will be appointed to the case of a former Will County board member who claims men from her past circulated "intimate" photos of her.

Will County Chief Judge Richard Schoenstedt decided on Tuesday that former board member Kathleen Konicki's case should be presided over by someone from somewhere else.

Konicki's attorney, John Ridge, requested an out-of-county judge because Konicki subpoenaed both Judge Gerald Kinney and State's Attorney James Glasgow to sit for depositions. Kinney, who was the chief judge before Schoenstedt, and Glasgow are both fighting against  having to testify.

"If this was a criminal case, the special witness doctrine would apply," Assistant State's Attorney Phil Mock said at a previous hearing.

"You can't just subpoena judges for a fishing expedition," Mock said. "The same thing goes for state's attorneys. The same thing goes for reporters."

On Tuesday, Kinney said he has no idea why Konicki is trying to make him testify.

"I don't understand my connection except I was subpoenaed," Kinney said. "When I asked her what my connection was, she refused to tell me."

Charles B. Pelkie, the spokesman for the state's attorney's office, declined on Tuesday to discuss why Glasgow was subpoenaed but previously said he had "absolutely no idea" why his boss had been pulled into the case.

Konicki, 64, petitioned the court in August for a protective order against former flame John Bassett of New Lenox, who she said passed along "intimate" photos of her to another old boyfriend.

Bassett, 62, acknowledged that he at one time possessed pictures of Konicki and said, "Some of them would have been romantic," and, "Some of them might have been" nude photos. He insists that he destroyed the pictures while Konicki looked on.

During a previous hearing, Ridge identified Konicki's other former lover as Joliet attorney Timothy Rathbun.

Konicki also subpoenaed Rathbun, along with any email he sent to Bassett between Sept. 1, 2012, and January. She also subpoenaed any photos he may have of her. A previous subpoena demanded any photos of Konicki "wearing intimate attire or engaged in intimate activity."

Rathbun has failed to return calls for comment.

After Tuesday's hearing, Ridge said he was not sure whether the case would be heard in a different county of if a judge would be shipped into Joliet to hear it.

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