Nail polish defendant ordered to pay $15,000

A woman already serving a jail sentence for killing a motorcyclist while painting her fingernails agreed Friday to pay $15,429 in restitution to the dead woman's family.

How much of that money Lora Hunt will actually have to pay and how soon she will have to pay it are matters that will be determined at a later date.

Hunt, 49, of Morris, was sentenced to 18 months of periodic imprisonment in July for the May 2, 2009 crash that killed Anita Zaffke, 56, of Lake Zurich.

Zaffke had stopped for a yellow traffic light at the intersection of Rand and Old McHenry roads in Lake Zurich when she was struck from behind by Hunt's vehicle.

Testimony at Hunt's trial in May established Hunt was polishing her fingernails as she was driving and did not see Zaffke's motorcycle in time to stop.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Mermel and defense attorney Jeffrey Tomczak told Lake County Circuit Judge Fred Foreman they had agreed on the amount Hunt would be ordered to pay.

"They (prosecutors) came to us with an amount and I presented it to my client," Tomczak said. "And Lora's only reaction was that if that is what she has to pay, then that is what she will pay."

But it may not be that simple. Although Hunt is serving a jail sentence that allows her to leave confinement for work, Tomczak said she is currently unemployed.

Tomczak said Hunt expects to lose her nursing license by the end of the month because of her felony conviction for reckless homicide, and will have to be retrained before she can earn any money.

Foreman scheduled a hearing for Sept. 17 to determine Hunt's ability to pay restitution at this time and how much she should pay each month.

In addition to the 18-month jail sentence, Foreman placed Hunt on probation for 30 months and ordered her to perform 240 hours of public service.

Mermel said the restitution amount was to reimburse the Zaffke family for funeral expenses and the cost of the destroyed motorcycle.