Joliet Murder Defendant Pulls Off Unbelievable Feat: He Delays His Jury Trial For 9 Years And Running

JOLIET, IL — In November, the voters of Will County must decide whether to elect sitting Associate Judge Amy Christiansen or Caton Farm Road private practice criminal defense attorney JohnPaul Ivec of Plainfield. This week, Christiansen decided she will not preside over the high-profile Joliet murder trial of Michael Kazecki until after her election is over. Christiansen opted not to conduct the jury trial during the week of Oct. 5 in her courtroom 402.

Kazecki is one of the only first-degree murder defendants who has remained a free citizen, now for slightly more than eight years. He and his downtown Joliet lawyer Nathaniel Tate continue to prolong the Joliet murder trial from ever taking place.

Joliet Patch has previously produced numerous stories on their strategies of filing motions that delay the case from going to trial.

Back in early August 2018— two years before the COVID-19 pandemic, Joliet police arrested the Washington Junior High School teacher on first-degree murder charges following the death of his wife, Becky, who was a teacher at Gompers. Michael Kazecki beat her to death over the course of a few days inside their house at 702 McDonough St., according to prosecutors and Joliet police detectives.

After spending three weeks in the Will County Jail, Michael Kazecki regained his freedom under the old cash bail system and moved back to his mother's house in suburban Oak Lawn, and he's remained there ever since. He drives to Joliet every few months and uses the city of Joliet parking deck on Ottawa Street whenever his murder case is on the court docket.

Based on this week's ruling from Judge Christiansen, Kazecki's murder trial is now scheduled for Feb. 1.

Back on Sept. 8, Kazecki's lawyer Tate filed a four-page motion asking to continue the trial date of Oct. 5. Tate is a member of the downtown Joliet law firm of Edward Jaquays, and his filing argues that "in the past year, the defendant Michael Kazecki has received 14 additional supplemental disclosures from the State with respect to evidence and materials pertaining to this matter ... the State has caused subpoenas to be issued which at least two remain outstanding and have pending Rules to Show Cause thereto.

"Defendant Michael Kazecki is still presently waiting to receive additional discovery materials from the State with respect to this matter that has been pending for several years. ... defendant Michael Kazecki is still waiting for the State's retained expert, Michelle Jorden, to complete her analysis and opinion as to certain additional testing of potential physical evidence in this cause. Such analysis and opinion has remained outstanding since April of this year"

Tate's filing goes on to state, "the principles of fairness and the constitutional protections guaranteed to the defendant Michael Kazecki and the defense require that the October 5, 2026 jury trial date be stricken and reset to allow both parties appropriate and adequate time to review the findings of the State's expert witness, receive full and complete disclosures of evidence in this cause and prepare for trial."