Woman sentenced for killing biker allowed out of jail for job

A woman sentenced to the Lake County jail for killing a motorcyclist while painting her nails will be allowed to take a job in her hometown of Morris.

Lora Hunt, 49, was sentenced to 18 months of periodic imprisonment for the May 2, 2009 crash that killed Anna 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 that Hunt was painting her fingernails as she was driving and did not see Zaffke's motorcycle in time to stop.

The sentence imposed by Circuit Judge Fred Foreman allows Hunt to be released from jail only to go to work and attend counseling.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Tomczak told Foreman that his client working in Morris will require her to commute to and from the job jail about two hours each way in addition to the hours she is actually working.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Mermel said he would not object to Hunt, who will be driven both ways by someone else because she has lost her driver's license, taking the job but wanted some verification.

"I don't intend to act like Simon Legree in this economy and deny her a job," Mermel said. "But I would like to have the jail officials or someone from probation make sure this is not some made-up job."

Tomczak said the job has been verified by both authorities and Foreman said he wanted a written report outlining the details of Hunt's employment filed with him by Sept. 30.

Tomczak and Mermel agreed that Hunt would withdraw her request to be allowed to attend church in Morris, where her husband has served as a elder for 23 years.

As a compromise, Tomczak suggested Hunt could attend services in Winthrop Harbor, while Mermel requested she be restricted to attending services in the jail or at a small church across the street from the jail.

Foreman said he would approve Mermel's plan for the time being, but said he would consider the option of the Winthrop Harbor church again at a Nov. 16 hearing.

Greg Zaffke II, the victim's son, said after court Friday he was disappointed that Hunt was seeking to be out of jail so often.

"She got a light sentence and she is constantly grabbing for more and more time on the outside," Zaffke said. "It seems the honorable thing would be for her to sit in jail and think about what she has done."

Tomczak said his client was not attempting to escape punishment for what she had done.

"She got a job in Morris because that is where her family and friends are and where she has contacts," Tomczak said. "There is no question that she thinks about this every day."