Judge Tells Other Judge's Drug-Addicted Son He's Sending Him to Prison 'To Save Your Life'

By Joseph Hosey (Patch Staff)

The fifth drug case for the son of a former Will County chief judge got him sent to prison on a three-and-a-half year sentence.

“The only thing I can think to do to save your life is to send you to the Department of Corrections,” Will County Judge Edward Burmila told Matthew Lechwar before sentencing him Thursday morning for possessing heroin.

Lechwar’s father, Rodney Lechwar, was a prosecutor with Burmila in the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. Rodney Lechwar was later the Will County chief judge.

Matthew Lechwar, 32, was before Judge Burmila on a different heroin case less than two years ago. He faced 30 years behind bars before special prosecutor Charles Colburn reduced the charges at the last minute and Burmila recommended him for a special boot camp program. Those maneuvers cleared the way for Matthew Lechwar to get out of prison in less than seven months.

Nine days after he was released from prison, Matthew Lechwar overdosed on heroin at the Channahon home of his parents.

Police reportedly found baggies and needles when they responded to the overdose call but Colburn chose not to prosecute the judge’s son, who was on parole at the time.

Matthew Lechwar was still on parole when he was arrested on the heroin case that has put him back in prison Thursday. Besides those two convictions, Matthew Lechwar was charged in 2006 with the unlawful delivery of heroin. He got that case dropped by successfully completing a special drug court program. Matthew Lechwar also has a 2000 possession of cannabis conviction out of Kendall County, a 2003 driving under the influence conviction in Will County, and a 2004 possession of a controlled substance conviction from Grundy County, Colburn said during a court hearing.

During Matthew Lechwar’s sentencing hearing Thursday, Colburn told Judge Burmila he believed time in prison was necessary to “give him an opportunity, quite frankly, not to kill himself.”

Matthew Lechwar’s attorney, Gabriel Guzman, asked for probation.

“My client is not a criminal,” said Guzman, who told the judge Matthew Lechwar started doing drugs at 14.

“He’s a drug addict,” Guzman said, “and that leads him to some bad decisions.”

Matthew Lechwar came to court with a letter from his mother that Judge Burmila read before handing down his sentence. The judge also listened as Matthew Lechwar asked him for another opportunity to stay out of trouble.

“When I started doing drugs, I had no idea it was going to come to this,” he said. “It seemed so innocent, and now I’m stuck in this revolving door going in and out of jail, and I just ask for one more chance.”

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