Melodie Gliniewicz trial delayed until February
The Melodie Gliniewicz trial has been delayed while attorneys argue whether the charges should be dropped.
Lake County Judge James Booras agreed to push back the trial to Feb. 6 while prosecutors and defense attorneys trade arguments about nine felony and misdemeanor counts of conspiracy, unlawful use of charitable funds for personal gain and money laundering filed against Gliniewicz, 52, of Antioch Township. She's pleaded not guilty to the accusations.
Booras set a status date of Dec. 13 for prosecutors to answer a motion to dismiss the charges filed by defense attorneys. After the state files its answer, defense attorneys will be allowed to respond in writing, officials said.
By the time the answers and responses are exchanged, the hearing date on the motion to dismiss will probably not take place until after the new year, Assistant State's Attorney Scott Turk said.
Charges against Melodie Gliniewicz were filed after an investigation into the death of her husband, Fox Lake police Lt. Charles J. Gliniewicz, on Sept. 1, 2015. Authorities said he staged his death to appear as if he'd been killed in the line of duty to cover his thefts from the Fox Lake Law Enforcement Explorer Post 300.
The investigation determined the couple had been using money donated to the Explorer post for their own purposes, authorities said.
Melodie Gliniewicz served as a civilian adviser to the post, authorities said. Investigators found money from the Explorer fund was used to pay for a trip to Hawaii, movie tickets and at least 400 restaurant charges, authorities allege.
According to documents filed by defense attorney Donald Morrison, Charles Gliniewicz was the only person in fiduciary control of the Explorer post account between 2009 and March 2015. Melodie Gliniewicz "was not a signatory on any Fox Lake Explorer accounts and had absolutely no control over the funds of the explorer program," the charges should be dropped, the court document reads.
This is the second time Morrison has filed a motion to dismiss. The previous request was denied by Judge Victoria Rossetti, but the order was vacated after Rossetti recused herself from the case.
If found guilty of all charges, Melodie Gliniewicz could be sentenced to a maximum seven years in prison or probation, authorities said.