Panel cites evidence police car ‘reckless’ before fatal crash Jordyn reiland | Chicago Daily Law Bulletin The 3rd District Appellate Court reinstated a $4.1 million jury award which was overridden by a judge after a 2017 fatal police pursuit trial. On Sept. 3, 2004, McDonough County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Pledge attempted to approach an SUV he pulled over for erratic driving when it sped away. Pledge chased the vehicle along a U.S. highway ... Read More

By Robert Connelly, GateHouse Media Illinois The McDonough County VOICE OTTAWA — A recent appellate court decision overturned Circuit Judge Richard Gambrell’s decision to overturn a 2017 jury’s $4 million award in a 2004 fatal crash involving a county deputy. That means McDonough County will need to come up with about $2.6 million to pay the highest ever civil jury award in the history of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The Third District ... Read More

After a trial in 2017 handled by John Spesia and Jake Gancarczyk of Spesia & Taylor, a jury returned a record-setting jury verdict in favor of a family whose wife and mother was killed in a tragic automobile collision. The verdict was subsequently overturned by Judge Richard Gambrell who presided over the trial. However, on Friday, April 19, 2019, the Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa, Illinois, ruled that Judge Gambrell “erred” when ... Read More

WGEM-News McDONOUGH COUNTY, Il (WGEM) — Attorney John Spesia stated that on Friday the Third District Appellate Court reinstated verdicts against the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office and Officer Thomas Pledge. The reinstatement was the result of a McDonough County jury’s finding that Officer Pledge’s reckless pursuit of a DUI suspect into the intersection of Route 67 and University Drive at speeds exceeding 100 mph caused a collision ... Read More