Scott Drazewski News Today

In 2020, a McLean County judge sentenced Anthony Grampsas to 45 years in prison following the 2018 murder of a 20-year-old Bloomington man.

A Bloomington man was ordered to resume the drug and alcohol program of probation after he pleaded guilty to a battery charge Thursday.

Monday was the first day to file nominating petitions for county, state and federal offices in this year's elections.

Editor's note: This is the first in a three-part WGLT series this week about court fines and fees in Illinois.Critics have said the legal system hurts…

Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part WGLT series this week about court fines and fees in Illinois. Read and listen to part one.A new law…

Jeffrey Martin, 56, was charged in January 2016 with sexually assaulting an elderly woman with whom he had been staying in Normal. The rape and child pornography cases against Jeffrey Martin took a baby step forward on Tuesday after a judge gave Martin 45 days to continue his search for a new lawyer in McLean County’s longest pending criminal case. Martin, 56, was charged in January 2016 with sexually assaulting an elderly woman with whom he had been staying in Normal. A search of his compute...

David Proeber / The Pantagraph (Pool) When Carla Barnes closed a black robe around her shoulders for the first time on Thursday, she marked history as the first Black judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit. An audience of friends, family and colleagues watched the swearing-in ceremony in Courtroom 5A while many others followed COVID-19 protocols by joining a Zoom option for the celebration. The judiciary seemed an uphill and unlikely destination, Barnes noted in her remarks. Raised in Chicago...

Carla Barnes (Image: McLean County Government) In a history-making  moment, attorney Carla Barnes has been appointed the first Black woman to serve as a circuit judge in Illinois’ 11th Judicial Circuit. The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that Barnes, the McLean County public defender, has been appointed to fill the vacancy created by Judge Scott Drazewski’s retirement. “I have been with the public defender’s office for 19 years and serving the indigent clients of McLean Count...

MCLEAN COUNTY GOVERNMENT / RALPH WEISHEIT / WGLT McLean County Public Defender Carla Barnes has been appointed as the first Black woman to serve as a circuit judge in Illinois’ 11th Judicial Circuit. Barnes fills the vacancy created by Judge Scott Drazewski’s recent retirement. It’s her second attempt at being appointed to the bench in the circuit that covers McLean, Ford, Livingston, Logan, and Woodford counties. “I started with the public defenses office 19 years ago. I have enjoyed...

Staff / WGLT The pandemic has slowed programs in McLean County that help keep people out of prison and the county jail. Michael Donavan, the countys court services director, said recovery court and drug court usually offer intensive therapy and other services, but they are not seeing as much use right now. "Referrals have been down this year because of COVID, over a 40% reduction in the referral rate. A lot of it has to do with the court cases that had stalled for a number of months," said...