Judge Recuses Herself From Gliniewicz Case, Cites Conflict of Interest

LAKE COUNTY, IL - A Lake County judge has withdrawn herself from the Melodie Gliniewicz criminal case to avoid any appearance of impropriety due to the potential conflict of interest.

Judge Victoria Rossetti has stepped down from the high-profile case and Lake County Judge James Booras has been appointed to take her place, the Daily Herald reports. It’s unclear what the conflict of interest is that forced Rossetti to step down.

Following the switch in judges on Monday, Melodie Gliniewicz’s defense attorney filed a motion to vacate a previous ruling by Rossetti that denied a defense motion to dismiss some of the indictment counts against Gliniewicz, Lake County News-Sun. The motion will be heard during a Sept. 21 hearing.

Melodie Gliniewicz was indicted by a grand jury earlier this year following an investigation into an embezzlement scheme that ended up robbing the Fox Lake Explorers program of thousands of dollars. Police said Lt. Gliniewicz staged his own murder after embezzling funds from the Explorer program for years. He was found shot dead in Fox Lake on Sept. 1.

Melodie Gliniewicz played a “fiduciary role as an adult advisor with the Fox Lake Police Explorer Post,” which was run by her late husband, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Detective Christopher Covelli said in a news release following Melodie Glineiwicz’s indictment.

Detectives determined some of the personal expenses paid from the police explorer account included a trip to Hawaii, payments to businesses such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Fox Lake Theatre, and over 400 restaurant charges, Covelli said.

Melodie Gliniewicz is charged with felony counts of conspiracy, unlawful use of charitable funds for personal gain, and money laundering.

Officials said Gliniewicz could face anywhere from probation to seven years in prison if convicted on the charges, the Lake County News-Sun reports.

Her trial, which was previously slated to start in November, was rescheduled to Dec. 5, according to the Lake County News-Sun.

More via the Daily Herald and the Lake County News-Sun