The court proceedings for two local women who allegedly exploited a senior citizens for financial gain will require the assignment of a fourth judge. All three players for the state and for the defense, including Special Prosecutor Matt Goetten, have all stayed with the case.
The apparent problem has been finding a judge in the circuit without personal conflict.
Personal conflict is not limited to knowledge or acquaintance of only the defendants.
The cases of 38 year old Jewell Maul and 64 year old Joyce Gill was the subject of an afternoon status hearing in the Morgan County courthouse Friday. Judge Adam Giganti was presiding over the status hearing Friday. Judge Giganti recused himself from the case due to an unavoidable conflict of interest regarding case-specific, currently confidential information.
A motion to dismiss the case has been filed by both Maul’s attorney, Carrie Magerl, and Gill’s attorney, Tom Piper. Attorney Magerl has also filed a motion to change location of these proceedings. According to Magerl, the motion is not made with a specific replacement setting.
The case was handed back to Presiding Judge John Madonia, who will assign the case to a fourth judge in the Seventh Illinois Judicial Circuit. He may preside over the case himself.
The next hearing for Jewell Maul and Joyce Gill, with the judge selected to preside, will be held at 11am on Monday, August 12th, at the Morgan County Courthouse.