Complaints against judges in Illinois undergo a stringent process, starting with the Judicial Inquiry Board. Only cases that pass this initial stage reach the Illinois Courts Commission. According to Shelley Bethune, the executive director and general counsel for the Illinois Courts Commission, only a limited number of cases make it to the commission each year.
The board’s complaint contends that Adrian acknowledged his obligation to impose the mandatory four-year sentence but opted not to send Clinton to prison, citing concerns about the justice of such a decision.
Adrian’s defense argues that the judge’s reversal was rooted in an evaluation of the case’s evidence rather than an attempt to subvert the law. Furthermore, Adrian’s attorney, Daniel Konicek, challenged the legislative mandate of a four-year prison term for sexual assault, urging commissioners not to be swayed by public opinion.
The complaint against Adrian also alleges that he retaliated against a prosecutor by removing him from the courtroom for liking a Facebook post critical of the judge. The prosecutor, Joshua Jones, testified that the post called for holding rapists accountable.
