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Friday, January 13, 2006
Ind. Courts - More on: No-holds-barred fight for Lake County Superior Court's elected Hammond judgeship
Updating yesterday's ILB report, here is a story from today's Munster (NW Indiana) Times headlined "Carter not investigating Cantrell court." Some quotes:
HAMMOND | Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter denied opening an investigation into an alleged fraud scheme in Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell's court.Carter said Thursday that he didn't find evidence of criminal wrongdoing in allegations by Superior Court Judge Jesse Villalpando, who is in a political fight with the Cantrell family to win re-election to the bench.
Judge Cantrell denounced Villalpando on Thursday in a written statement.
"Judge Villalpando's vindictive and slanderous attacks about me in the press demonstrate that not every member of the bench is capable of being above common politics," she wrote. "It is a shame that he must go to such lengths to attempt to revive his failing campaign."
Villalpando declined comment Thursday on a report his complaint has sparked a federal, state and county investigation of fraudulent practices in the Cantrell family.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen declined comment Thursday on whether his office received a copy of Villalpando's complaint or is investigating it.
A report in a local newspaper [that would be the Gary Post-Tribune] said Judge Villalpando alleged Judge Cantrell administered a fraudulent traffic school program for defendants convicted of traffic violations, overcharged those she sent for counseling and failed to report the traffic-school proceeds to the state.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 13, 2006 08:24 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts