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| Ex-officer is acquitted of jail sex charges |
| By Chicago Tribune |
| Published: 06/07/2004 |
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One of three Cook County (Ill.) sheriff's deputies accused of trading cash for sex inside the Cook County Jail last year was acquitted last Tuesday of official misconduct and custodial sexual misconduct in a bench trial. Judge Vincent Gaughan found Kenneth Swearnigen of Chicago not guilty. He had been accused of having sex with inmates in shower rooms at the jail in 2002. His lawyer, John J. O'Malley, said the evidence against his client was the account of only one inmate. "It was just her uncorroborated statement," O'Malley said. When the inmate discussed the alleged conduct with Swearnigen while she wore a secret recording device, he did not say or do anything that would suggest he had committed a crime, O'Malley said. He said Swearnigen was charged because he was known to be friendly to inmates. "The only evidence came from this inmate in the jail and once there was a wire on her, the evidence disappeared," O'Malley said. "The only evidence they had was her uncorroborated testimony." Sheriff's officials said Swearnigen resigned from his job last year. Jerry Lawrence, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office, said prosecutors were disappointed in the ruling, but would continue with cases against the other two men. Still charged are James Anthony III and Iyare Egonmwan. "We're disappointed in the judge's verdict. The prosecution was brought in good faith," Lawrence said. "We will continue moving forward with the other two cases from the same investigation." The investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct in the jail was spurred by a letter from an inmate to the superintendent of Division 4, where 700 of the jail's 1,000 women inmates are housed. |
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