Gliniewicz trial delayed indefinitely as prosecutors appeal email ruling
The trial of Melodie Gliniewicz has been delayed indefinitely while an Illinois appeals court decides whether prosecutors can show jurors text and email messages between her and her deceased husband, disgraced former Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz.
Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Scott Turk introduced a certificate of impairment in court Monday morning, claiming the case against Gliniewicz was impaired in May when Judge James Booras barred the electronic messages from trial.
An appellate review of Booras' decision will postpone the trial until at least December, and most likely into next year. Turk declined to say whether the case hinged on the texts and emails blocked by Booras' ruling. He said the evidence is "one piece of the puzzle."
Melodie Gliniewicz, 52, of Antioch Township, faces charges of unlawful use of charitable funds, conspiracy and money laundering, alleging she helped her husband steal thousands of dollars earmarked for a police Explorer youth program. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
The accusations surfaced after her husband was found shot to death Sept. 1, 2015, in a secluded area of Fox Lake. Investigators initially believed the veteran officer had been killed in the line of duty, but later learned he killed himself and made it appear as if he'd been gunned down in an attempt to cover up the embezzlement.
Investigators claim the couple had been using money donated to Fox Lake Police Explorer Post 300 for their own purposes. Authorities say Explorer funds were used to pay for a trip to Hawaii, movie tickets, pornography websites and more than 400 restaurant charges.
Joe Gliniewicz was the adviser of the Explorer post, and Melodie Gliniewicz served as a civilian adviser, authorities said.
Booras ruled May 11 that the state's marital privilege laws prevent prosecutors from presenting communications between Melodie Gliniewicz and her husband. Prosecutors have argued those laws don't apply in this case because one spouse isn't being called to testify against the other. The two sides are scheduled to return to court Nov. 27 to see if the appellate court has ruled.