Judge: Sex lawsuit against ex-attorney to proceed

BELLEVILLE — A long-stalled lawsuit by a man accusing a now-imprisoned former southwestern Illinois attorney of sexually abusing him has gotten a judge’s go-ahead to proceed.

St. Clair County Associate Judge Andrew Gleeson lifted a stay on the lawsuit against 71-year-old Tom Lakin on Monday.

The 5-year-old lawsuit was put on hold by a judge while Lakin was prosecuted on federal charges that he held cocaine-fueled sex parties at his home with minors.

Lakin was sentenced in 2008 to six years in prison and is scheduled to be released in November of next year.

In October, Lakin pleaded no contest to state charges involving his molestation of the man now suing him and was given no additional prison time. That plaintiff, now 21, was 15 when the abuse took place.