BY DAVE PARRO
While Geneva and Batavia police claim they didn't give special treatment to a Kane County officer arrested for drunken driving, it's awfully suspicious that they played hot potato with the incident and then took four days to charge the former jail commander with DUI.
Sure, Todd Exline was ultimately charged. But would Joe Citizen have been able to walk out of the Geneva police station without being booked after failing sobriety tests? The circumstances at least warrant an investigation to make sure officers didn't give Exline the benefit of the doubt because he's one of the boys.
Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti has vowed to look into how the incident was handled after Batavia police made the traffic stop in Geneva and then handed it off to Geneva police, who detained Exline before letting him go. Charges weren't filed until early this week.
Too many mistakes were made all around to simply write this off as an oversight. It smells fishy not only because Exline was driving but because an assistant state's attorney who had also been drinking was in the passenger's seat. At least Barsanti made good on his new alcohol policy and punished his ASA for poor judgment by suspending her for a week without pay.
These are the people we count on to arrest the bad guys, prosecute offenders and run our jails. Almost every branch of law and order was represented here, and they still couldn't get it right. That's what makes the story about this being nothing more than a bad decision caused by confusion and miscommunication so hard to buy.
What has happened to mankind? In the wake of the DuPage County incident which left an assistant district (or state's) attorney dead and another seriously injured due to the attorney being drunk out of her mind, and now an officer from the Kane Co. jail allegedly driving while intoxicated, I am feeling very sad. Have people just gone crazy? Seeing the destruction, firsthand, that is imposed on society by drunk drivers, don't these people in positions of leadership have a brain in their head?? How can they have any credibiilty at all as leaders when their standards make a mockery of the law and devalue human life?
If life is too stressful for these people, I suggest they reevaluate their lives and change professions where they can honor their diminishing integrity, instead of their current professions where they have degraded humanity, and been unwholesome and unsavory role models.
I value life so very much that I cannot imagine ever in my wildest dreams--making the decision to drive after drinking, but if I did, I certainly could not take these attorneys seriously if I was arrested. As a matter of fact, I'd probably wonder why they ever chose to be blasphemous to an issue so critically important. They should be ashamed.
I agree that this case looks very suspicious. I am impressed though with States Attorney Barsanti's alcholol policy. I believe this case does warrant an investigation and whoever is responsible for letting Mr. Exline go without being booked should also be reprimanded. I haven't had much faith in our judicial system for quite a while. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The following is something I wrote several years ago after sitting in several court rooms listening and watching.
I wonder about justice in life on this earth. I can't seem to find it, it needs a rebirth. Prosecutors and lawyers just want a deal. They don't care if it's right or it's real. The judge only hears what they want him to hear. "The truth, the whole truth" never even comes near. Raise your right hand, swear not to lie. Then they twist what you say...might as well be "good-bye". Innocent or guilty? Doesn't really matter. What they care about is they're on that ladder. They're climbing to the top. To the high judges seat. Won't they be surprised when the REAL judge they meet! I wonder if they'll ask Him for the same justice they gave. Or if they'll want better than the price others have paid. Will they ask Him for mercy standing before Him that day? Will He tell them..."You've already dealt all your chances away."
Dave,
The conspiracy theory you are trying to suggest doesn't hold much water. First, Officers in Geneva and Batavia know who Excline is. If they wanted to give him a brake they simply would never have arrested him to start with. In fact the Batavia officer who saw him would have stopped him without telling the dispatchers and then arranged a ride home for both of them. That's how it works. Second, this case will be dismissed anyway because the Batavia officer, according to published reports, had no reason to stop him. He didn't see any driving behavior that would give him probable cause to stop the car.
The Geneva officer's did the right thing by arresting him. The mis-communication that occurred afterwards, while rare, needs to be fixed though. If this was about giving a "good old boy" special treatment, you would never have seen him arressted in the first place.
Dave,
Next time you write an article for the paper - I suggest you do a bit more investigation. Let me give you a few facts. 1. Exline was a supporter for Ramsey - Perez has issues with Ramsey supporters. 2. An anonymous caller reported Exline was driving erratically, both Batavia and Geneva police followed him for many miles and did not detect any improper driving. 3. Exline was not given a breathalyser tests - therefore, did not fail any. 4. The anonymous caller recalled the police station a few days after the incident and demanded an arrest or investigation - hmmm sounds like an inside set up. Why don't you write these facts or at least look into it before you write about someone you know nothing about. Where were you when Exline was a youth leader at Holy Angels for many years, took teens to Rome to visit the Pope, help coach baseball teams, umps baseball games to help inspire children all while being a father, husband and leader of a Jail. Why does the Beacon constantly point fingers without looking into all the facts before they ruin lives.
Diane's comment didn't do much for her point in my opinion. Look at point number 3. "Exline was not given a breathalyser tests...". That tells us something right there. If he was stopped on suspicion of DUI any other Joe Citizen would have been required to take a breathalyser test. If the officer did not detect any improper driving then why was he stopped and taken in? Wake up Diane!
Hello,
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Rahul Kumar
DUI