Vanecko's Attorney: Keep Koschman Report Sealed

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 17, 2013 9:30PM

Richard “R.J.” Vanecko’s attorney asked a judge to keep special prosecutor Dan Webb’s report on the 2004 death of David Koschman sealed Thursday, arguing that releasing it would violate his client’s right to a fair trial.

Attorney Thomas Breen told Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Toomin making the report public would make it harder to find impartial jurors for Vanecko’s trial next year in Koschman’s death. Vanecko was indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges last December by a grand jury empaneled by Webb. It has been long alleged Vanecko threw the punch that killed Koschman but he was never brought up on charges in the original investigation or the 2011 re-opening of the case.

Webb’s report, which Toomin ordered temporarily sealed last month, has become a subject of interest for both prosecutors and attorneys representing David Koschman’s mother, Nanci. Nanci Koschman’s attorney filed a motion asking the report be made public. The Chicago Sun-Times and WMAQ-TV have also filed motions seeking the report’s release.

Vanecko’s trial will be presided over by McHenry Court Judge Maureen P. McIntyre, after the Illinois Supreme Court approved a request by Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans to seat a judge for the trial who isn’t from Cook County and, therefore, has no connections to the Daleys.