Jon Seidel
Federal Courts Reporter at Chicago Sun-Times
Federal Courts Reporter, @Suntimes; Author, “Second City Sinners”: https://t.co/0MTjYAghcY; Alum, @BSUCCIM and @PostTrib
Articles
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1 week ago |
chicago.suntimes.com | Jon Seidel
A former principal of a North Side elementary school due to be sentenced this week for scamming nearly $300,000 out of the Chicago Public Schools has died, her defense attorney told a federal judge. Sarah Jackson Abedelal, 61, was set to be sentenced Tuesday morning by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis. Abedelal didn’t show, even after the judge gave her defense attorneys until the afternoon to find her.
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2 weeks ago |
chicago.suntimes.com | Jon Seidel
SPRINGFIELD — A downstate man on trial for murder testified Wednesday that “millions and millions of people hated me” following his arrest for assaulting two people at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Explaining his state of mind ahead of a Nov. 8, 2022, crash that ended the life of 35-year-old Lauren Wegner of Skokie, Shane Jason Woods said his arrest led to “instant, instant, instant depression.”“I was national news,” Woods said.
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2 weeks ago |
chicago.suntimes.com | Jon Seidel
SPRINGFIELD — Moments before driving his GMC Sierra the wrong way onto a downstate highway in 2022, Shane Jason Woods complained that he’d been in an argument, that he faced a decade in prison, and he just wanted to “end it,” a police officer testified Tuesday. As traffic passed nearby on Interstate 55, Woods allegedly told an officer who confronted him that, “It takes a big f---ing man to say what I’m about to say. “I’m gonna kill myself.”The officer thought he had things under control.
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2 weeks ago |
chicago.suntimes.com | Jon Seidel
SPRINGFIELD — Jurors chosen to weigh first-degree murder charges against a man on trial for the 2022 death of a Skokie woman learned right out of the gate Monday that he’d once been accused, convicted and pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Shane Jason Woodsfaces trial for the death of 35-year-old Lauren Wegner. But members of the panel that’ll consider his case learned more during jury selection about Woods’ past than they did about his current charges.
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2 weeks ago |
chicago.suntimes.com | Jon Seidel
When the dark GMC Sierra suddenly sped past him north on Interstate 55 in November 2022, the downstate police officer had to floor it, driving 101 mph to catch up. The officer flipped on his lights and siren, prompting the truck’s driver to pull off around Springfield’s southern border. When confronted, the truck driver began to cry. He said he didn’t care about a ticket. He faced serious prison time — over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
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RT @barrybutler9: Happy Mother's Day from Chicago. https://t.co/cpQ73pnNHm
Sarah Jackson Abedelal once said Brennemann Elementary School saved her life. But she also admitted, “I screwed up at Brennemann.” From @Suntimes, on the former North Side CPS principal found dead Tuesday as she faced sentencing in federal court: https://t.co/bCsjZuQUil
DEVELOPING: Former CPS principal who admitted stealing $300K found dead ahead of sentencing: https://t.co/bCsjZuQUil