What happens if you’re from Illinois, are a convicted felon, have been arrested 79 times, and then are accused of a sex crime that is caught on a video recording? As it turns out…not much. At least if you show up in the courtroom of Judge Stanley Hill.
This isn’t even recent news, but it’s so absolutely mind-boggling that we just had to take the opportunity to highlight the case. The case has a pretty interesting timeline too, since a report that came out from a local investigator resulted in outrage from the public and then a 180-degree about-face from the judge when it came time for sentencing. Since his position is an elected one, you can see how letting a 79-time arrestee/convicted felon out of jail without bail after a video-recorded sex offense may be a bit off-putting even to the most lenient of constituents.
What’s Wrong With Stanley Hill?
I mean, fool me 78 times…shame on you. But fool me SEVENTY NINE TIMES? Well then…shame on YOU, Judge Hill. Turns out, this isn’t the first time Hill has been involved in such a case. In fact, just a few months earlier, he let 46-year-old Mario Cupello out on an I-bond for 10 felony counts. Cupello’s reaction to his good fortune? He was arrested again the next day after being charged with domestic battery.
We don’t want to cast dispersions, but from all appearances it seems that Judge Stanley Hill may need to be evaluated for mental competency.
The About Face on Lenient Bail
Hill, after the report from Brad Edwards came out, sentenced Cornell McWilliams, the serial arrestee and felon, to 30 years and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Well…that makes more sense. CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller called this move unprecedented and noted:
I think the media scrutiny had an effect on everyone in the courtroom
One would hope – surely something must be done in such extreme instances, right?