Jagla talks about battery case

Democratic congressional candidate Stan Jagla said Tuesday a previous guilty plea for misdemeanor domestic battery was a result of unfair treatment by law enforcement and the legal system.

Jagla, a Roselle businessman, is running for the 6th Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton. His opponent in the Feb. 5 primary is Des Plaines resident Jill Morgenthaler, a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel.

On Nov. 4, 2005, Roselle police arrested Jagla after they said they witnessed him striking his child in a car.

Jagla pleaded innocent and sought to dismiss the charges, but his request was denied.

In April 2006, he pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic battery. He was sentenced to a year of conditional discharge, a form of probation, and required to pay fines and fees and undergo counseling if needed, according to court documents.

An Illinois Department of Children and Family Services case worker visited the family the day after the incident and reported finding no marks or injuries on the child.

Jagla, 55, did not want to comment on the specifics of the case but said he was unjustly treated by police and prosecutors although he found no fault with the judge.

"I didn't have a million dollars for lawyers. I did what I could," Jagla said.

"That's the problem in DuPage County. Civil rights are nonexistent. It's one of the reasons I'm running for office."

In July 2006, a DuPage County psychological services official reported Jagla was not in compliance with his sentence because he refused to acknowledge any abusive behaviors. Jagla was re-sentenced to probation and 30 days in jail, but he was spared incarceration upon condition he underwent domestic violence counseling.

This November, Jagla's jail sentence was vacated after he completed the required counseling.

The 6th District includes parts of northeast DuPage and northwest Cook counties.