Joliet cop’s lawsuit on hold while special prosecutor examines her conduct

A Joliet police officer’s federal lawsuit against a detective and the city of Joliet has been suspended as a special prosecutor examines that officer’s conduct.

In March, U.S. Judge Mary Rowland agreed to suspend discovery in Officer Cassandra Socha’s lawsuit after receiving notice of a prosecutorial decision that may affect the case, according to court records.

Last year, Socha filed suit against the city of Joliet, Detective Edward Grizzle and 20 unidentified police department employees.

She claimed that Grizzle trawled her cellphone while looking for evidence related to an investigation of harassment or intimidation through electronic communication.

Her lawsuit alleged that sexual photos of her and her fiancé, fellow Joliet police Officer Nicholas Crowley, were accessed and shared with other department employees.

Socha’s attorney, Hall Adams, said the lawsuit has been put on hold because special prosecutor Lorinda Lamken was examining Socha’s conduct.

“For what reason, we have no idea,” Adams said.

Rowland allowed the case to continue to be suspended June 4 as a prosecutorial decision remained under advisement. The next status hearing in the case is set for Nov. 5.

Crowley was charged in July 2017 with reckless discharge of a firearm, domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

He battered Socha and fired his gun into the ceiling of her home, according to a criminal complaint filed in Will County court.

Lamken failed to persuade a grand jury to indict Crowley on anything except the reckless discharge of a firearm charges. Crowley’s case went to trial in May 2018 and Will County Judge Daniel Kennedy found him not guilty.

Kennedy explained there was “no direct evidence of how the gun was discharged” and Lamken was asking him to “infer from the circumstances that there was a conscious decision.”

Adams said he didn’t know if Lamken’s pending inquiry concerns Socha’s conduct during Crowley’s trial.

Lamken did not respond to calls and messages inquiring about Socha’s lawsuit.

Socha’s lawsuit claimed that Grizzle and other city employees retaliated against her for Crowley’s acquittal.

The suit claims Grizzle “seized on a text message” Socha sent to a witness in the case, and that he obtained a search warrant for her iPhone.

According to the lawsuit, Socha’s phone showed no evidence of wrongdoing but did contain private sexual images of her and Crowley. Those photos were shared with other Joliet officers, according to the lawsuit.

Grizzle's attorneys denied that he trawled the contents of Socha's iPhone for private data or images.

His attorneys also denied he found any private images or videos depicting Socha nude or engaged in sexual acts with Crowley, or that he showed any private images to other city employees.

Grizzle also denied that he was “unable to find evidence of any criminal offenses” on Socha’s iPhone, according to court records.

Adams said he was not aware of any misconduct on Socha’s iPhone.

Attorneys representing the city of Joliet denied many of the allegations in Socha’s lawsuit in their response. They also argued that the city is not liable in the case.

The city’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and argued Socha made “vague, conclusory, self-serving allegations” that were premised on “information and belief,” according to court records.

After Crowley was acquitted, he was hit with a 30-day suspension from the department.

Crowley was disciplined for failure to perform his duties, conduct unbecoming of a police officer, failure to notify of the discharge of a firearm, failure to submit a report of a discharge of a firearm and displaying a firearm without reasonable cause, city officials said.