Defendant no-show gets 2-year sentence

John Heavener did not bother to explain why he never went to see his probation officer at his sentencing hearing Monday.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Heavener did not bother to show up for the proceeding in front of Associate Judge George Bridges.

And that was no surprise because Heavener did not bother to show up for the Sept. 2 hearing at which his probation for aggravated battery was revoked.

Heavener, 34, last known to be living in Northbrook, was arrested after Mundelein police stopped his car for a traffic violation on Oct. 28, 2008.

He repeatedly cursed and threatened the officer who stopped him, hurled a 5-inch knife at her when he got out of his car and had to be Tasered into submission before he could be arrested, authorities said.

He pleaded guilty on Jan. 27 and agreed to make monthly visits to a probation officer and to enter mental health treatment.

No such luck. The only time Heavener ever went to see a probation officer was May 29, when he surrendered on a warrant that had been issued for his arrest, and he never got close to a treatment center.

Assistant State's Attorney Marykay Foy asked Bridges to lock Heavener up for the full five years he was eligible for in order to protect society.

Assistant Public Defender Timothy MacArthur asked that Heavener's probation be extended so that he could get the treatment, but had to admit that he had not been able to get in touch with his client.

Bridges agreed that treatment would be the best course for Heavener, but pointed out that the court cannot help those who will not accept it, and sentenced him to two years in prison.

Jury award

Libertyville attorneys Matthew Dudley and Kevin Golden recently won a $25 million jury verdict for a Chicago boy in a medical malpractice case in Cook County.

Payton White, now 8, suffered severe brain damage and cerebral palsy after suffering from a lack of oxygen during his Aug. 6, 2001, birth at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The suit charged Payton's mother's obstetrician, Dr. Eileen Murphy, with failing to properly interpret the results of a non-stress test and ultrasound performed before the birth.

"This verdict will allow Payton's future medical and caretaking needs to be provided for and also places accountability squarely where it belongs," Dudley said. "We are very pleased with the jury's verdict."

Counselor funded

State's Attorney Michael Waller's office has received another year's partial funding for its Spanish-speaking victim witness counselor program.

Waller said $54,578 in federal funds will help support the program, began in 1991, which helps provide services for Spanish-speaking crime victims and witnesses.

The grant was provided by the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority through its prosecutor-based services program.