DUI from 2005 haunts Elgin city council candidate

In politics, old ghosts tend to haunt you. Especially during campaign season.

A DUI arrest is coming back to bite Charlene Sligting, one of six people running for a two-year Elgin City Council seat.

The topic came up last week when candidates Al Fernandez, Emi Morales, Mike Robins, Brenda Rodgers, Mike Warren and Sligting were asked in a forum if they had been arrested in the last five years.

While the others all said no, Sligting acknowledged she was arrested Aug. 17, 2005, in Elgin.

"I'm not proud of it. It's an unfortunate circumstance," she said at the forum, adding she was "falsely accused" and unfairly treated by an officer with a long disciplinary record.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and ownership of it," Sligting said Thursday. "I regret that it happened. That night, I was really upset. I would have handled the situation differently in hindsight."

According to court records, Sligting, whose last name was Eckols at the time, pleaded guilty in October 2005 and successfully completed court supervision, which included visiting a victim impact panel.

Police were called at 10:50 p.m. that night McLean Boulevard, just north of Route 20, after Sligting rear ended another car. No one was injured, records show.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the city on Thursday released a video recording of Sligting's arrest taken from a squad car.

In it, Sligting repeatedly said she was "tired" and just wanted to go home before she failed three field sobriety tests.

Two officers handcuffed her and tried to put her in the squad car but she continued to ask if they could "talk about this." One officer said he would use pepper spray on her if she didn't sit down and kept resisting. She was pushed into the squad only after lengthy protestations.

The city issued the following statement Thursday: "The city of Elgin received a complaint from Charlene Eckols regarding the conduct of police officers in connection with her arrest. The city investigated the complaint including but not limited to reviewing the video of the arrest. The city determined that the conduct of the officers was appropriate. The complaint by Ms. Eckols was determined to be not sustained."

On Feb. 24, voters will narrow the field to four candidates who will square off in the final April 7 election.