Kurt Liebermann, Repeat DUI Offender, Faces Felony: State's Attorney

JOLIET, IL — On Thursday morning, the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow filed formal charges of aggravated driving under the influence and endangering the life or safety of a child against Channahon firefighter-paramedic Kurt Liebermann.

According to court records, Liebermann remains in treatment following his back to back DUI arrests, one in Channahon and one in Plainfield, within a three-week period in January and February. Thursday's criminal complaint at the Will County Courthouse revealed that Liebermann also has one prior DUI conviction, from 2014 in LaSalle County.

In that case, Liebermann was arrested by the Ottawa Police Department, and he later pleaded guilty, court files show.

On Thursday, criminal defense attorney Stephen White, who works for one of Will County's largest law firms, Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol, entered his appearance on Liebermann's behalf.

White is retired from the bench after serving as the Will County chief judge from 2002 until 2008. From 1978 until 1990, White was an assistant Will County State's Attorney. White successfully prosecuted Joliet serial killer Milton Johnson for the August 20, 1983, ceramic shop murders of four women on Joliet's Cass Street.

As for White's next criminal defense client, Liebermann is a Channahon resident who has been employed with the Channahon Fire Protection District for 17 years.

In February, Joliet Patch obtained access to the Channahon police reports of Liebermann's Jan. 18 arrest. According to the documents:

At the time of that traffic stop, Liebermann told the Channahon police officer, "Lallos probably said something."

The officer saw Liebermann's 7-year-old child in the rear passenger seat of his truck.

"I got three firearms in here," Liebermann told the officer. The officer recognized Liebermann as being on the Channahon Fire Protection District from prior calls he's assisted the fire department.

"I asked Kurt where he was headed. Kurt stated it was his daughter’s birthday, and he was dropping his daughter off at an address off of Keating Boulevard. As Kurt spoke, I smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. I also observed Kurt to have slurred speech and bloodshot, glassy eyes. I asked Kurt how much he had to drink tonight."

"Zero," Liebermann replied.

"You had nothing to drink tonight?"

"No, sir," Liebermann insisted.

“So if you blew into a PBT, you would blow all zeroes then?”

"Yeah," Liebermann told the officer. “Yeah, I got my kids tonight, I would blow all zeroes.”

The officer asked if Liebermann would take a preliminary breath test.

"No. I’m not doing that. I know better than that," Liebermann answered.

An open bottle of Dr. McGillicuddy's Cherry Liqueur was found in the center console, along with two unopened Busch Light beers, and two opened Fireball whiskey shooters.

Back at the Channahon police station, Liebermann suggested he's gone out drinking with Channahon police and "you guys are different to each other. Do you know that? ... Nobody gets in trouble unless they’re not a cop. It’s nice to know that the fire department and cops can get along great. Yep, It’s pretty cool. We used to respect each other, but now there is nothing. The s***** thing is, the fire department can’t do anything to you guys. But you can do everything to the fire department."

Liebermann has a March 16 court date at the Will County Courthouse related to his Feb. 6 DUI arrest in Plainfield.

Related Patch coverage of Kurt Liebermann's DUI Arrests

Child Endangerment Under Review In Channahon Paramedic's DUI Arrest

2nd DUI Arrest In 3 Weeks For Channahon Firefighter-Paramedic

DUI Charges: Channahon Firefighter-Paramedic Kurt Liebermann