Karl Ferrell, Joliet Township Trustee, Cannot Stay In Office: Judges

JOLIET, IL — Karl Ferrell's legal fight to remain as one of the Joliet Township's elected officials on the board of trustees was rejected last week by the Illinois Third District Court of Appeals.

The appellate judges issued a 19-page ruling that served as a victory for Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow, who has opposed Ferrell's efforts to remain in office on the grounds that Ferrell is a convicted felon.

Ferrell was involved in dealing cocaine, in 2010, court records show.

"Ferrell argues that we should stay this appeal until Governor Pritzker acts on Ferrell’s petition for a pardon," the court of appeals wrote in last week's ruling. "Ferrell maintains that, if the Governor pardons his prior convictions, his restoration of rights would apply retroactively to the time Ferrell took the oath of office, thereby rendering him eligible to continue serving as a Trustee of Joliet Township under the Election Code. Ferrell raised this claim below both as an 'affirmative defense' and as a basis for requesting the circuit court to stay the action.

"We reject Ferrell’s argument and decline his request for stay. As the circuit court correctly ruled, Ferrell’s argument on this issue does not raise a recognized affirmative defense and is not a basis for defeating summary judgment. Nor is it reason to stay this appeal. As the circuit court noted, there is no way of knowing when or if Ferrell’s pardon petition will be acted upon. Even if a pardon is ultimately granted, it is unknown whether the Governor will apply the pardon retroactively. In essence, Ferrell seeks an indefinite stay based on his speculation that his pardon application will be (1) acted upon, (2) granted, and (3) applied retroactively. We will not grant a stay based upon such speculation."

Previously, Will County Circuit Judge John Anderson issued a ruling against Ferrell remaining on the Joliet Township Board of Trustees.

According to the court of appeals ruling, after Ferrell was sworn in as Joliet Township trustee in May 2021, the Will County State’s Attorney became aware that Ferrell had been convicted of multiple felonies before he ran for and assumed the office, including three drug-related felonies and a felony for the unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

"The most serious of Ferrell’s convictions was a 2010 conviction for possession with intent to deliver more than 1 gram but less than 15 grams of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. Ferrell pleaded guilty to that offense and was sentenced to four and a half years’ imprisonment," the court of appeals noted.

"The judgment of the circuit court of Will County is affirmed," the appeals judges concluded.

Meanwhile, last December, Joliet Patch reported that after spending two hours in the Will County Jail, Joliet Township Trustee Karl Ferrell was set free after being charged by the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow with 16 felony crimes, including allegations of Paycheck Protection Program theft.

The 42-year-old Ferrell now faces two counts of theft by deception, two counts of loan fraud, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of forgery, one count of theft, two counts of state benefits fraud and five counts of failure to file an income tax return.

The arrest warrant indicated the criminal investigation was led by the United States Secret Service.

To read the entire 19-page opinion in the Karl Ferrell case, visit the Appellate Court of Illinois website and find it here.

Related Patch coverage:

Karl Ferrell, Joliet Township Trustee, Faces Income Tax Fraud