Elmhurst:
The woman accused of attempting kill her son by drugging him is seeking lawyers in her criminal and divorce cases. During a recent court appearance, Cheryl Luchetta asked for and was granted one non-collect phone call from the DuPage County Jail, where she's being held, to contact an attorney in her ongoing divorce, while also attempting to find a private attorney to represent her on the attempted murder charge. She is currently working with a public defender in that case, and acted as her own lawyer during a recent divorce hearing. Luchetta returns to court Nov. 29.
The felony battery trial for one of three Elmhurst family members accused in a March bar altercation with police had his trial postponed on Nov. 1. Steven Connell was scheduled to start his trial before Judge George Bakalis, but his attorney told the judge at least three witnesses were unavailable. Although prosecutors objected to a continuance, Bakalis granted it after saying prosecutors previously delayed the trial because a police witness was away on his honeymoon. Connell's trial is now set for Jan. 24. His brother and father are scheduled to stand trial together on misdemeanor battery charges on Jan. 23.
Batavia:
A woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a Batavia business rejected a plea offer from prosecutors in her case. Karen Gladue was charged earlier this year with forging dozens of checks from the business between July 2010 and January 2011, according prosecutors who estimate the checks totaled into the tens of thousands. Gladue is free on $20,000 bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 17.
