Jeana (DP) said:
Zellner is a CIVIL attorney, not a criminal defense attorney, if I remember correctly. If I'm wrong, please show me a link proving it and I'll apologize. Civil attorneys do not keep people out of jail. They try to get damages awarded to their clients for different reasons. Her reasons in this case are obvious. The rest of the post about Riley's family makes no sense because Kevin had nothing to do with the crimes, so I'm just going to skip over that part.
Zellner has a diverse practice, handling both civil and criminal cases. Her best known criminal cases that I have read about have been at the post-trial motion or appellate level - getting the Ford Heights Four exonerated after DNA testing, the release of Kevin Fox, the currently ongoing appeal of Michael Cardamone, the Aurora gymnastics coach, and several others. She has also handled the civil suits seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the Ford Heights Four, Kevin Fox and several others, and has won large judgments. I do not know of any criminal cases where she has been the defense attorney at the initial trial court level. This is her law firm's web site:
http://www.kathleentzellner.com/firm.html
On another matter - Jeana (DP), I believe I remeber reading that you are a lawyer. What do you think the odds are of the Kevin Fox civil suit making it to trial? If I were a betting man - and I am not any more - I would bet at about 50-1 odds against it going to trial. I think, after Gerald Haberkorn, Will County's defense attorney, talks a lot about fighting this case to the end that it will quietly be settled out of court with no admission of liability on their part, and probably no disclosure of the settlement terms. In addition to the obvious impact of Kevin's testimony, I do not think they can overcome having the DNA from the beginning and not testing it, then hiding it, then calling off the testing. I think Tomczak's character and family history lends a dose of reality to the conspiracy theory that would play well with a jury. And Tyler testifying as to his ordeal would be the death blow to the defense, along with Zellner questioning Mary Jane Pluth, Tyler's unlicensed interrogator. And, of course, there is always of the luck of the draw regarding the judge. Based on his rulings in the pre-trial phase thus far, this judge appears inclined to give the plaintiffs every opportunity to proceed to trial, and has only dismissed one defendant.
It's really a shame that this case will likely fade quietly away, and so will the investigation of Riley's death, as the trail is so cold now, her killer will never be found unless there is a lucky break.
