Des Plaines candidate’s court hearing continued

Monday’s court hearing for Des Plaines City Council candidate Mario Palacios was continued to April 21.

Palacios, 44, of the 1900 block of Illinois Street, was charged with false personation of a government official on Dec. 17, 2010, after police say he presented a sheriff’s deputy at the Skokie courthouse with a Des Plaines fire and police commissioner badge.

The badge wasn’t authentic — it had been presented to Palacios by his wife as a memento when he retired from the commission in April 2010.

Palacios could face a penalty of less than a year in jail, if convicted.

Palacios could not be reached Thursday. He has not returned phone calls requesting comment on his arrest or to talk about his candidacy.

He is expected back in Skokie court at 10:30 a.m. April 21.