COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — The special prosecutor who brought charges against three Chicago Police officers accused of helping cover up the 2014 Laquan McDonald shooting filed a motion Thursday to replace the officers' trial judge.
Cook County Judge Diane Cannon, a former longtime prosecutor, was randomly assigned the case Monday when another judge recused herself without explanation.
Special prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes on Thursday filed a two-page motion seeking to replace Cannon, whom Holmes described as "prejudiced against the State." (READ THE FULL MOTION BELOW).
No additional details were given. Holmes' office declined to comment further Thursday.
The motion will be heard in Cannon's courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2650 S. California Ave., on Tuesday morning, court records show.
Former detective David March, former Officer Joseph Walsh and Officer Thomas Gaffney were arraigned Monday on charges of official misconduct, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
All three pleaded not guilty.
RELATED: 3 Officers Charged With Laquan McDonald Cover-Up Plead Not Guilty
Officer Jason Van Dyke, the 39-year-old officer who fatally shot McDonald 16 times in 2014, was charged in 2015 with first-degree murder and official misconduct. He was indicted earlier this year on an additional 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
Holmes was tasked last year with investigating officers on the scene with Van Dyke the night McDonald was killed. At a news conference last month, Holmes said her investigation is ongoing. More officers may be charged.
Prosecutors allege March, Walsh, Gaffney and Van Dyke (identified in last month's indictment only as "Individual A") conspired immediately after the Oct. 20, 2014, slaying "to conceal the true facts of the events surrounding the killing of Laquan McDonald ... to shield their fellow officer [Individual A] from criminal investigation and prosecution."
March, Walsh and Gaffney are accused of "mischaracterizing the video recordings" of the shooting and lying about McDonald's behavior before the incident, according to Holmes' office.
The next court date for the three is Aug. 29.
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson moved last fall to have Van Dyke and several other officers fired over allegations they lied after the shooting of McDonald.
The teen had been stealing truck radios and was armed with a 3-inch blade on Oct. 20, 2014, when Police Department officers in Archer Heights called in a radio request for a Taser, prosecutors have said. An autopsy found that McDonald had PCP in his system.
Van Dyke and his partner responded to the call, but never specified whether they had a Taser. Within seconds of arriving on the scene, Van Dyke pulled his gun and emptied his magazine into McDonald, shooting him 16 times.
Video of the shooting, which was released via a court order in November 2015, sparked citywide protests that shut down the Mag Mile.
READ THE FULL MOTION HERE:
Motion for Substitution of Judge by ericademarest on Scribd
