Joliet Mayoral Hopeful Jim McFarland Guilty Of DUI

JOLIET, IL - On Thursday night, a Will County jury weighing the fate of former Joliet City Councilman Jim McFarland, who resigned from elected office in 2016, found him guilty of committing the crime of drunken driving. The jury spent about 3 1/2 hours in deliberations before reaching a unanimous verdict.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office said Thursday night's jury verdict marks the second DUI conviction for McFarland. His first DUI conviction was not in Will County, officials said. Just a couple of years ago, McFarland had visions of becoming Joliet's next mayor, perhaps Will County Executive or a State Senator, according to people who knew him well.

Will County State's Attorney spokesman Chuck Pelkie said that because this marks McFarland's second DUI conviction, he will not be eligible for court supervision. McFarland's driver's license is expected to be revoked for one year and at sentencing McFarland will face a potential sentence of 240 hours of community service or five days in the county jail.

McFarland's sentencing date is set for May 11.

Pelkie commended the criminal prosecutors who handled this week's jury trial. The two Assistant Will County State's Attorneys who netted the successful prosecution were Amanda Tasker and Jaclyn Sopcic.

"We take these DUIs very seriously," Pelkie said. "We take every DUI case very seriously."

Thursday's DUI conviction is another nail in the coffin for McFarland's once promising political career. He now faces the real prospect of spending some time inside the Will County jail beginning next month.

On Thursday morning, the Will County jury deciding McFarland's guilt or innocence heard testimony from Brian Apostal, the Illinois State Police Trooper who made the decision to arrest McFarland on suspicion of drunken driving around 2:30 a.m. on July 10, 2016.

On the witness stand, he casually explained in a conversational tone to the jury about how his intuition and training led him to notice McFarland's speeding car early that summer morning almost two years ago.

The State Police trooper was positioned near Interstate 80 and Interstate 355 when he noticed a silver Volkswagen buzzing along I-80, traveling approximately 85 miles per hour, he testified. The motorist, McFarland, was making quick signals as he switched between the right lane and middle lane, according to testimony. The trooper suspected the speeding motorist might be impaired. The trooper followed McFarland for about four minutes. McFarland was struggling to keep his car within the white lines for traffic.

Then, suddenly, McFarland just pulled over on the shoulder lane of I-80. He did so without any provocation from the trooper.

The trooper pulled over as well. He approached the passenger's side of McFarland's car. It was dark. At the time, McFarland had all his windows wide open as well as his sunroof, according to the trooper.

"I noticed an odor of alcohol from his breath as he was speaking," Trooper Apostal told the jury. (Chrystel Gavlin was the Will County judge presiding over the case.)

From the outset of his encounter with the police officer, McFarland wanted to make it clear he was somebody special; he was an elected politician in Will County's largest city.

"I was handed the city of Joliet identification card," the trooper told the courtroom.

"He advised that he was a councilman."

The state trooper was not asking for McFarland's city of Joliet ID card.

He wanted McFarland to furnish his driver's license and proof of insurance card. Late Thursday morning, the prosecutor asked the Illinois State Police trooper what he remembered about the eyes of the defendant.

Bloodshot and glassy, the trooper explained.

"Pretty immediately he said, 'I haven't been drinking,'" the trooper testified. McFarland indicated he was driving home from Richton Park at the park district there.

"I noticed his speech was slurred or thick tongued," the officer testified.

The trooper leveled with McFarland to be honest.

"He admitted three drinks," the trooper testified.

Eventually, McFarland was asked to step out of his Volkswagen to perform field sobriety tests.

He obliged.

"I advised him that I smelled a strong odor of alcohol," the trooper testified.

McFarland was asked to perform a nine-step walk and turn test. Out of eight possible clues of impairment, the trooper testified, McFarland exhibited six.

Next, McFarland was asked to perform the one-leg stand test. Out of four possible clues of impairment, McFarland showed three, the trooper testified.

"It indicated he was impaired," the officer told the jury.

At this point, McFarland changed his drinking story once again.

The Joliet City Councilman who initially told the trooper he had consumed no alcohol, then changed his story to three alcoholic drinks, backpedaled once again.

"He responded with two drinks," the trooper testified.

Given the totality of the events in question: McFarland's bloodshot eyes, the strong smell of alcohol on McFarland's breath, the glassy eyes, the failed sobriety tests, "my opinion was he was influence of alcohol and he was not safe to be driving," the Illinois State Police trooper testified.

McFarland, who turns 39 next month, is represented by Joliet criminal defense attorney George Lenard, who specializes in representing clients charged with drunken driving offenses. Lenard is now representing Romeoville Mayor John Noak, who was arrested last week on suspicion of drunken driving.

In September 2016, McFarland resigned from the Joliet City Council. He resigned from elected office before his four-year term of representing his constituents had expired.

ORIGINAL STORY: McFarland Resigns From Joliet

Images via Joliet Patch files