Latest / Kendall County News - Shaw Local / Kendall County State’s Attorney seeks to disqualify Yorkville alderman from representing former parks director
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- 0:05Speaker 1: Kendall County State's attorney seeks to disqualify Yorkville alderman from
- 0:08representing former parks director. Written by Eric Shelkoff, This article
- 0:15is being read by an automated voice brought to you
- 0:17by Everlett. Kendall County State's attorney Eric Weiss has filed
- 0:22a motion to disqualify Daniel Transier from serving as a
- 0:25defense attorney for former Oswiegiland Park District Executive Director Tom
- 0:29Bettsinger because of his potential conflicts as a Yorkville City
- 0:32Council alderman. Bettsinger was charged last July with allegedly attempting
- 0:37to run over a person with his pickup truck in
- 0:39Yorkville and driving under the influence of alcohol. Bettsinger later
- 0:43resigned his position with the park District. A motive for
- 0:47the incident is not known and the victim was not injured.
- 0:51In his January twenty second motion, Weiss noted that as
- 0:56an alderman, Transier votes on and approves funding request for
- 1:00the Yorkville Police Department. Attorney Transier voted on and approved
- 1:05the last several collective bargaining agreements for employees of the
- 1:07Yorkville Police Department. The motion states Attorney Transier approved the
- 1:12appointment of the current Yorkville Police Chief, James Jensen. A
- 1:16hearing on the case was continued until February twenty fifth,
- 1:19to allow Transier the time to file a written response.
- 1:23We'll have to have an evidentiary hearing in February. Transer
- 1:27said he declined further comment about the case. Bett Singer
- 1:32also declined comment. In his motion, Weiss also noted the
- 1:35incident involving Bettsinger was investigated by Yorkville police officers. The
- 1:40case has not yet gone to trial. Witnesses are financially
- 1:44tied to Attorney Transier in his capacity as aldermen, as
- 1:48they are employees of the United City of Yorkville, for
- 1:51which Attorney Transier is an alderman. The motion states this
- 1:54puts the employees' police officers in a conflicted situation in
- 1:57which they will be cross examined by one of their bosses,
- 2:00Attorney Transer. Since the employees cannot be removed from this case,
- 2:03the court should require Attorney Transier to recuse himself or alternatively,
- 2:07to disqualify him as the attorney of record in this
- 2:10matter for the reasons set forth above. Dots crop. The
- 2:13motion also states there is significant risk that Transier's continued
- 2:17representation of Bettsinger will be materially limited by Transier's responsibilities
- 2:22in overseeing the Yorkville Police Department and its employees. The
- 2:26conflict requires Attorney Transer to choose between representing his client
- 2:30or acting as an employer of the Yorkville Police Department.
- 2:32It states in his motion, Wise states that he is
- 2:36not accusing Transier of any alleged improper conduct.