Impersonating an officer, other charges against controversial Alorton mayor dropped

Five felony charges against Alorton Mayor JoAnn Reed were dismissed Tuesday due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Reed was in the St. Clair County courtroom of Associated Judge Steve McGlynn with her attorney, Justin Kuehn, on Tuesday. She agreed to plead guilty to possessing oscillating police lights on her private vehicle, a class A misdemeanor, for which Reed will pay a $250 fine.

Three other sets of felony counts, brought by former St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly from 2016 through 2018, were dismissed.

Indictments against her ranged from felony vote buying, official misconduct and impersonating a police officer related to the lights on her car. The latter charge carried a possible punishment of $2,500 and a year in jail.

“These cases involve certain allegations of misconduct in a political setting, which in my view, after a review of the evidence, the state simply can not reach its burden,” said David Rands, a special prosecutor assigned to the case. “Given the state of the evidence, it’s my considered opinion that we simply do not have the evidence to prove these cases beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Rands said any further issues or concerns with Reed “should be addressed at the ballot box.”

Kuehn said Tuesday that he’s pleased, but not surprised, with the outcome of the hearing.

“The most important aspect of today’s proceedings involved a declaration on the record by an independent special prosecutor ... that he reviewed the many felony accusations leveled against Mayor Reed, and that he believed the evidence against her did not (represent) a sufficient basis to convict,” Kuehn said. “Mayor Reed feels vindicated and I wish her Godspeed.”

Reed said she spent her life savings on legal fees and that she is thrilled with the outcome.

“I have been fighting these charges since 2015. I am poor, but I used my life savings to fight,” she said. “I knew and I know I was innocent. I was charged for no reason.”

Reed called Kuehn “an angel” for his work in her defense.

“He is patient and probably was the smartest child on his block. He is smart today,” Reed said. “He believed in me from day one and he went to bat for me. The money I had to pay was worth it.”

In December, felony arson charges were brought against a 19-year-old man, Yadarious A. Crawford, in connection with a fire that burned Reed’s Alorton house. It was the third time a residence Reed lived in had burned to the ground.

Reed, who had previously been elected mayor, pleaded guilty in 2014 to smuggling a cell phone into the Alorton Village Jail where a relative was being held on a battery charge. Reed received probation and community service. After she attended a drug treatment program, her conviction was removed from her record. She ran for mayor and won again.

She said she’s eager to refocus on her work at City Hall.

“I can’t clear my name or repair the damage that all of this has done to me, but I have unconditional faith,” she said. “...Prosecutors are allowed to ruin people’s lives with baseless allegations and charges and not be held accountable. That’s not right or fair.”

This story was originally published July 2, 2019 at 3:10 PM.