A veteran Illinois judge, Robert Adrian, was removed from the bench for misconduct related to the reversal of an 18-year-old’s rape conviction.
The Judicial Inquiry Board accused Adrian of willful misconduct, leading to his removal by the Illinois Courts Commission.
Adrian’s reversal of the conviction, his failure to acknowledge misconduct, and lying under oath were cited as grounds for removal.
“Much more was required of [Adrian],” the ruling stated. “Based on our findings in this case and Commission precedent, we conclude the only appropriate sanction is to remove [Adrian] from the office of circuit court judge, effective immediately.”
“This happened when this teenager ― because he was and is a teenager ― was two weeks past 18 years old. He has no prior record, none whatsoever,” Adrian said. “By law, the court is supposed to sentence this young man to the Department of Corrections.”
“This court will not do that. That is not just,” he said. “There is no way for what happened in this case that this teenager should go [to] the Department of Corrections. I will not do that.”
The case involved Drew Clinton, who was initially found guilty of sexual assault by Adrian but later had the conviction reversed by the judge.
The reversal sparked public outrage and criticism, with concerns raised about the judge’s actions and statements during the case.
Adrian defended his decision, claiming prosecutors did not meet the burden of proof.
“This is what’s happened when parents do not exercise their parental responsibilities, when we have people, adults, having parties for teenagers, and they allow coeds and female people to swim in their underwear in their swimming pool,” Adrian said at the sentencing hearing.
“It’s just ― they allow 16-year-olds to bring liquor to a party. They provide liquor to underage people, and you wonder how these things happen,” he said. “Well, that’s how these things happen. The court is totally disgusted with that whole thing.”
“The reality is that I had second thoughts on the finding of guilty shortly after the several day trial. I found haunting Clinton being in jail pending the hearing on the post-trial motions,” Adrian said.
“My focus on reconsideration was the issue of consent,” he said. “The People must have proven beyond a reasonable doubt [Vaughan] was unable to consent. I finally concluded it had not.”
“I did what was right,” he said. “I’ve always told the truth about it.”
Vaughan, the victim, expressed relief at the commission’s decision, stating that Adrian’s removal prevents further harm to others.
Vaughan said she was “very happy that the commission could see all the wrong and all the lies that [Adrian] told the entire time.”
“I’m so unbelievably happy right now,” she said. “He can’t hurt anybody else. He can’t ruin anyone else’s life.”
