Thank you Nicole =) This is true. I no longer hang out with those people anymore and I have even slowed down on my drinking. I don't smoke anymore, but that doesn't mean I haven't hung out with people who still smoke. Cigarettes, coffee, and a glass of wine are perfectly acceptable today.

I know Nick aka mouse and i will say it he did have a problem in the past but that is in the past i was friends with him i went to school with him but now he has straitend up his life though me and him had a falling out i stick by him and his fathers side nick is a good kid just all kids make stupid mistakes hell i have

By the way. I'm not rich. By the way, I called my dad and told him what happened, then I went to the NPD where I sat in a cell for an hour and a half waiting to get bailed out. By the way, my dad isn't perfect. By the way, neither are you. By the way, did you know that I don't hang out with those kinds of people anymore? By the way, Naperville went way too far on BOTH sides. By the way, my dad had nothing to do with my case. By the way, there were many reasons as to why we shouldn't have been arrested. By the way, I'm glad that many of you expressed disgust and dislike for what happened. Yes, what I did was stupid and immature. That was then, this is now. I still work full time and I'm going to school. I don't smoke pot anymore, but I do like to party a bit on the weekends ^_^ Peace.

You know, you guys could just freakin' ask me what happened. Do not judge my dad on this issue. He was VERY VERY angry with me. I nearly lost my job because of this BS. Mr. Bird even called my cell (don't know how he freakin' got it) but he pretty much blew everything out of proportion, or whoever wrote the damn thing. Yes, the pipe was on the table. Yes, the green was not in my posession. Yes, I was on the bloody balcony. No warrant. No probable cause (I can bet you my life they couldn't smell anything, the place reeked like hell). No miranda rights. They should have gotten sued for all the crap they put on us. Not to mention they weren't allowed in, they just barged in after Mike opened the door a little bit. Nice police work. I met the person who said we were "smoking". She actualyl called because of a noice disturbance because of someone yelling across the hall. It wasn't us. By the way, my dad is the best dad ever. You would agree with me if you got to grow up with such a great man, ignorant ill-informed people.

WOW!!! I'm AMAAAAZZZEEED!!!Not! Who would've known that such an upstanding gentleman experienced the same nerve wrecking annoying issues that "us" common folk endure. Truthfully speaking the area in which one lives does not exempt them from temptation. Nor does it exclude them from "indifferent" or "disturbing" circumstance. I'm pretty sure that this "young one" isn't going to be subjected to half of the predjudice or aggrevation exhibited on those who travel back and forth from the city to this little "cozy" suburb just trying to make a living! The Oakbrook Police are a JOKE! Like any other police department within Dupage County they act as "prostitutes" traveling day to day on these "mean" streets tricking hard working people out of their pennies for the sake of creating what, A "wonderful" predominately white traffic controlled enviornment? Give me a break.

I personally know one of Nick's friends he was with that night is a HUGE DIRTBAG!!! Time to wake up and smell the coffee Joe, your kid is running with the wrong crowd.

It's not a trial it's a ticket for god sake. Nick is an adult who has made an illegal choice and who has very questionable friendships. As his dad well knows Nick is making choices that are not what would expected of Joe Birketts son. Isn't this what it's all about? That's a family issue. Too bad it's played out in the media. I'm sure a few of us don't want to go to work on Monday and have our personal lives played out on page 1 but that's politics isn't it? Joe's job as Nicks mentor is over. Nick is an adult. Nick will get the same 1st time offense fine and education requirement everybody gets. I just hope for Nicks sake he hooks up with a better crowd before there is really something to write about.

Because of the high visibility the Sun has given this very minor arrest, it is now impossible for Birkett Jr. to get a fair trail. Did the murderers in S. Naperville get this much coverage last month?

Despite the hammering that the Sun has given Birkett Sr. in the paper, the family is entitled to all of the legal-wiggling, word-parsing and evidence-suppressing that has made our legal system famous the world over.

The case should be moved to a different county where they don't read the Sun and haven't heard of Birkett.

Let the $80 fines fall where they may.

I really don't think the young man is even remotely ashamed of what he did...he has his mug shot posted on his my space page.

Drugs (marijuana)are illegal - sounds too simplistic but if you don't like it then run for office and change the law. If you believe what some people say, as I do, then marijuana is a "gateway" drug that leads to other drugs. Joe Birkett should be disappointed in his son's decisions, but hopefully this will be a wake up call and lead to his son's hopeful "lesson learned".

I can't believe everyone is missing the real story here, "did the cops abuse their discretion, and were they on OT when they arrested him?".

As a parent, I sympathize with the conundrum the birkett's are faced with. should their son get off, his stupidity will simply continue farther into adulthood. He's out to make a point and he will press on until someone stops him. His behavior will simply get more offensive if they coddle him.
I am particularly concerned for the two guys who don't have the big important dad who is going to get them off. I suspsect Birkettt will fire all he has at those two and make his son out to be the victim.

As far as the laws concerning pot, my opinion is that the laws are too strict for a few and not equally enforced. Too many young adults' lives are ruined to the point of making them the victim instead of straightening them out. They then become bitter instead of better. They see the inequality of the law - when an illegal can bring hard drugs across the border and win a lawsuit against our country to boot ( !!) - and then don't take the law seriously. They are surrounded by friends who never get caught and see themselves persecuted for the same behavior.

birkett's son needs to face the charges,but the penalty should be equal to the offense. He is stupid, immature, selfish and foolish, not dangerous. Make him pay the full penalty for those social offenses. Something that will force him to think of somebody else for a change.
For those poor souls who don't have a 'daddy' to protect them, they need guidance, not ruined lives When the law straps them with felonies or misdemeanors, they can't find work because of the charges and therefore, can't better themselves. why saddle them with a label that keeps them from any kind of future? It only creates more predatory behavior.
why are we throwing the book at our young adults who are merely stupid, not predatory?

Zach pointing out that "not a stoner" states the obvious doesn't negate "nas"'s point that the job of law enforcement is to (again - obviously) enforce the law. Getting into a debate of whether or not pot should be illegal doesn't address the questions at the beginning of today's forum:

How should a prominent official handle the case of their (grown) child breaking the law? Supporting their child without denying the child's involvement (the elder Birkett's original statement does sound a little naive).

The appropriate punishment for the younger Birkett? Exactly what it would be for anyone else in the county, more for Nick's benefit than to stick it to Joe.

I'm not sure what the editors meant by "What do you think of the arrest by Naperville police, who previously arrested Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar for DUI? (Claar was not convicted)" - are they asking whether an arrest should have been made at all? If someone is breaking the law, well, the answer should be obvious.

I do agree with many here that the Sun coverage (esp the mug shot so prominently displayed) is a bit over the top. Whether you feel pot smoking is dangerous vs inocuous, it's going on all over this town/county, and even though I for one am glad the laws are enforced, will Nick Birkett becoming a scapegoat for those who hate his father make any difference in the debate? I doubt it. But if it opens up communication within families and communities about the reality of drug use here, then perhaps some good can come out of it.

With all the banter going back and forth. The only truth is that Nick will be judged by the company he keeps.

Go figure, another spoiled brat gets pinched for acting out and Big Daddy comes riding to the rescue.
Birkett needs to realize that his scion are not above the law that he so zealously enforces, and his son needs to grow up and act responsibly.
Perhaps a better statement from Birkett would have gone along these lines...
"My son has been arrested and charged with a crime, a misdemeanor, but a crime nevertheless. We expect he will be treated with fairness by the judicial system, and if convicted he will pay the penalty as directed. WE will make sure that he understands what is expected of him as both a citizen of DuPage County and as my son. Please remember that he is human, and I as his father stand by him, and will do whatever I can in order to ensure that this type of behavior ceases."
Instead of "Mychildisabovereproachandcouldnothavedoneanythingsocommonandloathsomeasthis.NapervillePDhascertainlyviolatedhisrightsandIwontstandforit"...

Too bad for Joe's son, i guess he is going to work in hollywood,

www.cynical-c.com/archives/bloggraphics/gollummilk2.jpg

I hope he stays strong...

I feel bad for Mr. Birkett and his family. Along with a slight case of stupidity the younger Birkett certainly "suffered" from name recognition. I doubt we would have heard this story otherwise. I pray Mr. Birkett and his family can deal with this family matter despite the news coverage.

I also feel that "drugs" like Marijuana should be decriminalized. I do not mean made legal but the use and possession of small amounts for personal consumption should be a civil matter handled with a small fine or supervision. Stuff like this should never make the police blotters or the News.

This is certainly no suprise... For so many citizens have been denigrated by Birkett and his office before the facts were in or with slippery disregard for the truth or facts... So often we've witnessed his political agenda trampling justice. So its no surprise to see Birkett's hipocricy when it comes to his own... Too bad he won't likely learn a lesson here, but at least he'll get a taste of his own medicine... albeit small, of how it feels.

"By not a stoner" thanks for your insight....or should I say thank you for telling us everything that we already know. Pot is illegal??? Noooo waaayyy!!!(sense the sarcasm) Nobody on this blog has disagreed with the fact that pot is illegal, we all know that. Also maybe you should have read the article. "They did something to attract the police." Yes they did do something, they smoked pot inside so the police smelled it. You would know that if you read the article. "What happens when they are done in their own homes and drive out onto our streets high?" Thats a good question but completely irrelevant because they weren't driving on the streets, they were in an apartment. And if you are presenting that as an arguement in support of why pot should be illegal then maybe you should look up the number of drinking and driving related deaths and tell me why alcohol is legal.

Birkett cracks me up. He and his office have made my life a lot harder. I've had the same two charges as his son, and I was sentenced to Cannibis education ($80) and two 2.5 hour class sessions, $750 fine for the paraphenilia, and $260 for the less than 30 grams. I've also had a lot of traffic offenses (mainly driving suspended) and every time the state's attorney's office wants to throw the book at me and rob me of every dime. I know the country's broke, but that's no excuse for financially raping an individual at every opportunity. It's like the tolls, or that new law where they put cameras in work zones.
I find it hypocritical and obtuse of Birkett, that in the light of his son getting popped for breaking a law that the majority in this country find ridiculous to begin with; that instead of speaking out about the injustice of that law, he blames everyone else involved.
I'm sure his son complained, "Those #$%%ing cops wouldn't let me go dad!"
I'm sure he's just like his father and can do no wrong. Typical rich kid syndrome.
Personally, I don't like what the police do to people's lives...you know innocent people. Like his son, actually. When laws are written to make money, freedoms are lost.
Our government is an evil, corrupt, hypocritical, money making (and losing) machine. Don't believe me? Let me illustrate the hypocracy.
Marijuana is illegal (in most states), alcohol is not. Alcohol kills more people. And why are cigarettes legal? Because big tobacco greases the politicians. The government can regulate cigarettes with taxation. Same with booze. Abortion is legal, stem cell research is not(and that's before the embryo's a baby!). It's Big Brother guys and gals. Laws should be written by someone moral someone that has a conscience, and someone with the best interests of all of US. Instead, we've got greasy, greedy fatcats running our country who only have the interest of themselves and maybe their kids in mind.

Nice of all of you to convict the son because of the father.

Denial isn't just a river in Egypt! Nick Birkett got caught with the wrong crowd and like all other Du Page arrestees, he will be presumed guilty until proven innocent! How many "other" persons in Du Page were handed down ridicules sentences for the same "crime" Nick committed? It's a reality check Joe, nothing more, nothing less! Something in your past is coming back to haunt you and this may just be the tip of the iceberg!

People ought to have some concept of the facts before they post false information. Joe Birkett had little or nothing to do with the prosecution of Cruz, et. al. That was a phony charge put on TV by the current Attorney General, who was elected with the dollars of her strong-armed father Speaker of the House. Because it was on TV, apparently people who don't know any better have swallowed the myth whole.

Joe Birkett.... the guy who was most influential in the biggest miscarriage of justice this county, if not the state, has ever experienced: jenine nicarico's murder trial. Sure, it started under Ryan, but birkett was the one ball-batting that dead horse the most. And he claims that he cannot take the death penalty off the table because of conscience? Baloney. He wants to keep secret his willful refusal to acknowledge the truth. Now he wants justice for his son? Perhaps his son saw him then for the ethics-less person he is. As Malcom X once said, "looks to me like a case of the chickens coming home to roost!" And to all these anon posters... ol' joe's gonna try and find out who we are... I just know it.

Having and/or smoking pot in Illinois is illegal. All pot heads know that. So, if you do it and get caught you get what you deserve. You can talk all day about how pot is no big deal but it is still illegal and you are still breaking the law no matter what you personally believe to be right.

The police enforce laws. I don't think these boys were just home minding their own business being saints. They did something to get the attention of the police. Just because you are inside the privacy of your own home does not magically make illegal drugs legal. What happens when they are done in their own homes and drive out onto our streets high?

These must all be thoughts of people who also do drugs.

The amount of attention given to this story by the Sun is ludicrous. Birkett's son made a mistake, he and his friends clearly should have smoked their pot on the balcony. This way the smell wouldn't have lingered in the hallway and somebody would not have called the police. It's too bad that such an insignificant event can be so blown out of proportion and even made into a political issue. Birkett's son made a personal choice to smoke marijuana, a choice that in no way reflects or represents his father's opinion. Additionally, he and the other two men smoked this marijuana in the privacy of an apartment where they presented no danger to anyone else. Given that all three of them are at least 21 maybe they should have just decided to drink that night. Then maybe the police would have gotten a complaint about people being too loud. In that case the police would have just asked them to keep it down. The only things disturbing about this story are that we consider a 21 year old man old enough to buy alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, fight in war, and vote yet we still dont think he can use marijuana responsibly or make decisions independent of his father.

Jim Lynch - You really lost any respect I had for you and your paper by Placing Nick Birkett's image on the cover of the Sun today. When you asked the Linden Oaks staff about this issue was another joke. They would be out of beds for about 5 years if they treated every kid in Naperville who has done the same. I am not excusing him and his freinds for allegdley breaking law or using drugs, but his hardly ranks as front page news for two days in a row. Look at the police report any day in the Sun and about 90% of the cases are worse than 3 people with 4 grams of pot and a one hitter inside a residence. I guess you would be afraid to report on the weekly occurances of illegal immigrants getting busted for DUI, no license, no insurance and wanted on warrants et cetera, but that would not be politically correct. It is easier to go after the son of someone who tries to put the bad guys behind bars. Think for a minute how it must feel for the 21 year old to be on the cover of the Sun because his dad is a politician. I know and you know someone who has done the same (while in a car driving on a suspended license) and much worse and is serving federal time for yet another crime as I type. Did I see any thing about Him???? No he was a "respected member of the community" It is really bad how you pick and choose who to go after. Go hide behind your computer somemore!

first of all i hope that Naperville gets the trail switched to another county where Birkett's son can get a fair trail. meaning that nick birkett will actually be tried. everyone knows that his daddy will some how "convience" the judge that Nick was innocent and he's a good boy and it's everyone's fault except Poor Nick.
Hey's here's one for you, Joe. If your kid is hanging around druggies, he's most likely a druggy too and you to say he's not is like President Clinton saying that he tried pot but didn't inhale.
I say give the trail to Kane county or better yet the feds. The feds don't play games like DuPage.

JIM MYRICK
Wheaton

Mr. Birkett is lucky that Frank Cuneo is no longer the prosecutor for these types of offenses. A few years ago when the Naperville police were handing out Presence Restriction Summons like they were gum drops, to teens who were NOT drinking, Mr. Cuneo treated the kids like serious felons. Mr. Birkett is about to find out how decent families are treated when they tangle with the police and court system - lots of luck.

Been there....

I can't wait until the police fingerprint the bag of marijuana and the pipe they took when the three boys were arrested. I think Joe Birkett is in for a rude awakening when he finds out his "perfect" son Nick isn't so perfect after all. People need to open their eyes and realize that Nick messed up and shouldn't receive special treatment just because he is the son of Joe Birkett. Just because Nick doesn't have a record doesn't mean he is better than everyone else and certainly doesn't mean he is innocent. I just hope the judge of Nick's case will make it clear that being Joe Birkett's son will not benefit him because his father obviously does.

>>Seems like the biggest crime, is that it is still a crime.

Exactly. Our jails are full of people arrrested for drug offenses.
How stupid and what a ridiculous waste of money and resources.

Want to cut the deficit, reduce jail overcrowding and reduce gang problems?

Elminate the "illegal" drug trade by regulating and taxing these so called "illegal" drugs.

>>Good job NPD for doing your job addressing the problem.

What problem?

Some kids smoking some pot?
How is that a problem?

We obviously have too many overpaid members of the NPD.
Looks like a good place to make some cuts to balance the budget.

I don't think being found in a house that happens to have some marijuana in the living room is a reason to be on the front page of the Naperville Sun Tabloid 2 days in a row. Granted, Nicholas Burkett needs to find better friends, but give the kid and his parents a break. No one deserves that kind of notoriety for that minor of an offense.

In the article about the ordinance, the councilman that was quoted said that it's their job to keep young people away from drugs. As a 19 year old, I know how easy it is to obtain marijuana, and how harmless it is in comparison to serious narcotics. Preventing youth from getting their hands on it will not work, educating the youth would be a better plan of attack.

I don't pay taxes to the city of Naperville, but if I did, I wouldn't want my tax dollars going towards police officers' overtime pay while they're in court for incredibly minor offenses like possession of cannabis. Come on now, there are better uses for that money

"quoting a psychologist who doesn't even know the family? Has the Naperville Sun lost its mind?"

That was exactly what I thought as well. Very cheesy reporting that kind of reminded me of something that would appear in In Touch or Us Weekly.

Can someone please explain why the police were at (or were called to) the apartment?

Mr. Birkett's response exposes an inconsistancy about him that I find disturbing.

In this case, he is giving the accused the benefit of the doubt and implies the arresting officers acted wrongfully.

In my case (which Naperville Sun editors and readers should be familiar with), he gives the benefit of the doubt to the accuser (whose dubious story has changed drastically, as the record shows) and decideded to prosecute full steam ahead while ignoring the arresting officer's obviously questionable actions.

Besides that, I wasn't read my miranda rights before I was arrested. In fact, the Sheriff's Deputy who came to my house three weeks after I allegedly committed "disorderly conduct", refused to show me the arrest warrant until after I was placed in handcuffs in the back of his squad car.

We the people of DuPage County deserve law enforcement officials, especially a State's Attorney, who seek justice in all cases.

Comparing Mr. Birkett's response to his son's questionable arrest with his responses to other questionable arrests, it's easy to see that we the people are not getting what we deserve. And that's a shame.

I first met Joe about 36 years ago. It is reasonable for the Sun to report on the story. The Tribune had the story on their website as well yesterday. However, the story today goes far beyond what should be considered normal. Seeking quotes from mental health experts? Tossing out that it may be part of acting up for attention. Sad, Naperville Sun, Sad. You're milking the story for every ounce aren't you?

in defense of the son, i think people are making this seem like a bigger crime than it really is. but at the same time being someone who was charged with similar possesion of less that 30 grams charge i want to see him prosecuted the same as everyone else. just because his dad holds a position of power in local and state goverment he should not be allowed to bend the rules or let his son off. this is a gross misuse of power and if he gets away with it i hope he is removed from his position.

Give me a break. I don't feel bad for him........ Mr. Birkett, how do you think other parents feel now when similar situations occur? No one cares when this happens to regular teens in the city of Naperville. Big deal he smoked pot, it happens more than people who live in Naperville with their blinders on realize. Even if he were completely "innocent" The Naperville Police would make sure he were guilty, regardless.

Note to posters from Naperville Sun editors: No potentially libelous posts concerning an alleged DUI arrest of a relative of a specific city employee will be posted. We simply do not have the resources to check through files of every surrounding community in the six-county region going back several years. The earlier statement about The Sun's policy refers to arrests by police in Naperville, the community we cover.

another story about this? quoting a psychologist who doesn't even know the family? Has the Naperville Sun lost its mind?

Gosh, I hate to state the obvious here but a 21-year old is a legal freakin' adult. As much as I dislike Mr. Birkett, his son's poor decisions and bad choices in friends have nothing to do with him personally.

By the time this made the paper who knows what really was found in that apartment. J Birkett has a tendency to make things work to his advantage. So whether the article was on the front page or not I'm sure not much will happen. Only other people are quilty by association. Anonymous 5:12pm couldn't have stated it any better. Anyone who thinks smoking a little pot in the privacy of their own home obviously has no more brain cells left.

Joe,Joe, Joe.... Another story concoted by the DuPage County States Attorney's Office..... your son was a guest in someones home? PULEEEZE! The "contraband" was found on the table? PULEEEZE????? Don't you know who your sons friends are? Apparently not, they have a rap sheet as long as my arm. Maybe you should spend more time being a better Father than TRYING to advance your career in the media every chance you get..... Take a good look at your sons mugshot.... he is doing way more than canabis..... IF as you say your family is the most important thing in the world to you, you'll retire and take care of them before we are soon reading a different headline.

As the old saying goes, "What goes around comes around" J Birkett has a record of of throwing the book at young teens and old ladies in wheel chairs in order to boost his chances of getting that all important political nomination. Im sure if you have lived in Dupage county for many years, you will recall another case where his motive and conduct were questionable. Wonder how this one will turn out?

Our own presidents have admitted to doing drugs (oh wait that's right Billy boy didn't inhale) and possibly one to be elected president (who partaken to a little white powder). So why the hell is it a big news story that a prosecutors 21 year old son did it.

If we were to judge every politician whose kids screwed up we would be in a heap of trouble. If that were the case we wouldn't have big old Teddy still hanging on in Boston. Talk about screwed up genes, far worse than a little pot smoking.

Why not string the kid up in the town square, thump him with a bible and can condemn him to hell?

I live in a state where it legal to grow and smoke marijuana neither of which I do.

Seams like the biggest crime, is that it is still a crime.

Anyone who follows J. Birkett and his very public track record knows that he is extremely harsh with his convictions and what he asks for in sentencing...(More so than any other Prosecutor in the state of Illinois and especially around election time)

It's funny how he suddenly turns into a Father trying to defend his son's "mistake" and not so much the Prosecutor we are use to hearing.

How many cases has Joe heard the words "my son is a good kid" and "just a guest in someone's home" before he turned around and asked for a ridiculous sentence just to keep his track record looking good?

Got news for you Joe, your son is smoking pot at the very least, but since your not his prosecutor at least his sentence will probably be fair..

I think the Sun has made this story into much more of a big deal than it is. The headline was something about a pot party, it was a couple kids hanging out in the privacy of their own residence smoking a little pot. Would you call three guys sitting aroudn with a six pack a party? I do think this story is somewhat of a big deal since his father goes after drug crimes so intently. In all honesty though I personally don't see what the big deal is. They were in the privacy of their own home not bothering anyone else or causing harm to anyone else. When a young person goes out in public to a bar get drunk, acts like an idiot, starts a fight, and drives home hammered that's pretty acceptable however a couple kids sitting around on the weekend smoking a couple joints is totally out of line and worthy of front page headlines.

I'll bet the kid walks! I agree with anonymous 1pm, but considering it is a first offense I don't think he'll get anything more than supervision. Since pop is a bigshot lwayer he probably won't even get that. We all make mistakes, however, and hopefully this will be a good learning experience for the boy.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander

Start out with a public condemnation at a press conference. The elder Birkett can lead that. Then string him up. He deserves the same punishment that the rest of the criminals get in Dupage County.

This story was enormously overplayed and the paper ought to be ashamed. The larger papers treated as a minor news item. This municipal ordinance violation had the same $75 bond as a speeding ticket. The young Mr. Birkett was in an apartment where a pipe and a tiny amount of pot was found. It wasn't his and he wasn't using the drug, according to police. There's only one reason to put this on the front page�to shove a finger in the face of a respected public official. This story should have been about four paragraphs in the middle of the paper. "Tireless and ferocious" prosecutor of drug crimes? Don't recall your paper describing Birkett this way until it was time to justify the sensationalizing of this story.

What do we know:

You can't control your kids, you can only teach them the best you can.

If Birkett hits his kid, he will loose his job. This one should be revisited.

No one tried to either void or hide this arrest.

The building where the arrest occurred is frequently in the arrest reports and is located a short walk from North High School. Gee could there be a connection?

How should Birkett respond, how can he respond. Any parent knows how he must be feeling. He should stay on his job, tell his kid not to do it again, and hope for the best.

One positive action Birkett could take is to call our Federal Representatives and tell them to complete the fence on the Mexican border where 85% of the drugs come in and use the National Guard to get it done quickly and cost effectively.

If Birkett's son had been a Mexican drug smuggler with less than 500lbs of pot, the Border Patrol would have taken his vehicle and made him walk back home to Mexico as punishment. The war on drugs is a joke at the Federal level.

How should j. Birkett respond? Only as a father can. His job has nothing to do with his role as a father. His best choice is to support and protect his son, particularly from over-zealous judgmental on-lookers.

As far as splaying the news all over the front page, what good does that do? 21 yr. old men do stupid, stupid things. Clearly he is immature and without direction. condemning him and his family is pointless and cruel. Let the Birketts deal with this as a family. They have a long row to hoe with this child. Shaming only makes the parents' job more difficult.

Whoever decided to make such a big deal out of this ( Bill Bird?) clearly is not a parent-or not a parent of adult children-and has no knowledge of compassion. the birketts are not the first and not the last who have a son who has made serious mistakes. the father's job has nothing to do with the maturity of the son or the role of j. birkett as father. leave it alone.

The first post indicates how stupid people really are. (could it be a napergate cult member) I have lived here as long as that clown and really dont care who it is that is arrested for drugs.

Good job NPD for doing your job addressing the problem.

Hmmmm, well the second post is certainly commendable for any dad to say about their own son, a son whom they love dearly. What father would not be heartbroken to receive similar news about their own son? What father would not have compassion for the pain another father is going thru right now?

The part that gets interesting is the denial. Hey, it is only natural that a father will stick up for his own kid. But here we have the County's top prosecutor sounding like a defense attorney. I'm sure the Naperville Police who investigated and arrested the younger Birkett are stroking out reading that statement.

It will be interesting to see how this case proceeds since it will be up to Birkett if the case goes to trial and what the charges will be. If it goes to trial will Birkett prosecute his own son, act as his son's defense attorney, or ask for the trial to be moved elsewhere? Or will he excuse himself from whatever transpires?

If anything is noteworthy to the average citizen reading about this it is the fact that drugs have permeated our society. They simply are everywhere and literally people from all walks of life are drug users. Some casual, some addicts. And drugs reach out and grab hold of our loved ones and other whom we least suspect. But grab ahold they do.

Response from Naperville Sun editors:

The Naperville city prosecutor will handle the case against the younger Birkett. The story explains why Birkett is cited under a city ordinance while the other two face prosecution on state charges due to prior arrests.

Mr. Birkett needs to wake up and smell the coffee -- or in this case cannabis. His son may have been a guest in someone's home, but surely he's not guilt free. The first step for Mr. Birkett should be to admit that his son has a problem and go from there. I truly wish them the best of luck.

The Sun reached Joe Birkett by telephone late Tuesday, and he had this to say:

“I love my son dearly ... My family’s the most important thing in the world to me, and we’ll handle this as a family.”

Birkett said emphatically his son was “a guest in someone’s home” and did not own or possess any of the alleged contraband found in the apartment.

“Anytime something like this happens, disappointment is what you feel,” Birkett said. “My son’s a good kid."

Birkett, a former Republican Party gubernatorial candidate, has been a ferocious prosecutor of narcotics dealers, but also established the county’s Drug Court, which tries to deal more compassionately with young people with drug addictions and similar issues.

I feel bad for Mr. Joseph Birkett as I doubt he was aware of this unacceptable conduct by his child.

Naperville Police have been known to arrest officials and kids of officials who are not from Naperville.

I have never heard of a Naperville Police officer's son or daughter being charged with anything in the 40 years I have lived in town. I feel this is very unusual and odd.

I have never heard of a City Council members son or daughter arrested if they were on the right side of the Establishment/Napergate Party lines.

Maybe in my 41th year in town, I will finally hear of some wrong doing by the child of a Naperville Police Officer. It just seems highly unlikely that all children of police officers could be Saints!

Or maybe they do get arrested and the Naperville Sun has a policy of not reporting arrests involving Police and City Officials.

Hopefully Moderator Jim can elaborate why there has never been an article involving the child of a police officer in Naperville being charged with anything in over 40 years. I am a subcriber and read the Naperville Sun pretty religiously!

Response from Naperville Sun editors:
The Sun's policy does not waver in its policy of reporting arrests. No exceptions are made. The question is one of relevance. A prominent local elected official and his family is more newsworthy than one of hundreds of city employees. Plus, it is unreasonable to expect the Sun to know all the kin of all the city employees. The Sun likely has reported the arrests of children of police officers and other city employees.