Mariusz Wdziekonski, 24, a neo-Nazi, was convicted of felony vandalism on Friday, after desecrating nearly 70 Jewish graves at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, with spray-painted swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti. "Hopefully, we can expose with some light--during the season of light--the evils in which this defendant was engaged," said Marc Jacobs, president of Temple Sholom of Chicago, which owns the cemetery in Norridge Park Township, to the Chicago Sun-Times. It only took two hours for a Cook County jury to convict Wdziekonski for vandalizing 67 headstones and memorials with graffiti during a January 2008 vandalism spree. more ›

The Supreme Court's decision regarding the honest services law is like AJ Pierzynski taking first base on that passed ball in Game 2 of the 2005 AL Championship Series. It's a ray of hope for folks like Conrad Black, George Ryan and now Tony Rezko that they can have their convictions overturned, using the narrower guidelines. more ›

Based on their calculations, prosecutors could ask for a prison term of anywhere from 24-30 years, far and above the 15 to 21 months recommended by the probation department. Prosecutors aren't showing their hand, only requesting of Judge Joan Lefkow that the sentence be "substantial." Burge was convicted this summer of perjury and obstruction of justice. more ›

Yesterday a Lake County, Indiana jury found Engelica Castillo, 20, guilty of murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing for the 2009 death of two-year-old Jada Justice. Castillo, Jada's cousin, babysat the girl for two weeks in June of 2009 while Jada's mother was out of town. When Jada went missing, Castillo originally told police that she had left the girl in the car while running an errand and Jada was gone when she returned. But Castillo's then-boyfriend Timothy Tkachik admitted the girl's death to police and led them to Jada's body, burned and encased in concrete. From the Tribune: more ›

The recent Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of Honest Services fraud in corruption trials has meant that a slew of convictions have had to be re-examined by lower courts (like Conrad Black). Among those cases was former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization Chief Al Sanchez's conviction last year. more ›

Former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Al Sanchez, who was convicted earlier this year on federal corruption charges, is asking for a new trial in light of new developments in the case. Sanchez, who was convicted in March of rigging hiring through his position as a city commissioner and his role in the Hispanic Democratic Organization, has asked the judge for a new trial, citing prosecutors failure to disclose that a key government witness was a high-ranking gang member and drug-trafficker. According to Sanchez's lawyer Thomas Breen, Brian Gabriel, who testified against Sanchez in the corruption trial, was a member of the Spanish Vice Lords. "It is hard to imagine information that is more impeaching of a witness than self-admitted gang membership, even if such membership is in the past," Breen said. "The evidence of gang membership was also no doubt suppressed by the government. The prosecution learned of Gabriel's gang affiliation prior to trial and prior to Gabriel's testimony yet did not disclose it to the defense." more ›

The federal corruption trial of former streets and sanitation commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization chief Al Sanchez ended yesterday afternoon in his conviction on four counts of mail fraud. His alleged co-conspirator Aaron DelValle (who ran as a stalking horse against 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis in 2007 in what was largely seen as an HDO vendetta against the alderman) was convicted of perjury. more ›

In the sex abuse headlines this weekend are two stories: one overturning a sentence and the other a sentencing of four years in prison. more ›