Braidwood mayor receives 8-day jail sentence in DUI case

A judge sentenced the Braidwood mayor to eight days in jail and two years of conditional discharge after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and driving an uninsured motor vehicle.

Judge Kenneth Zelazo on Friday also sentenced Robert Jones, 59, to pay $7,462 in fines, costs and restitution; complete 240 hours of community service; attend a victim impact program; and complete alcohol counseling.

A status hearing was scheduled for Jan. 8 to determine how Jones will serve his jail sentence, and he will receive day-for-day credit.

Jones was arrested Nov. 24 after he was involved in a three-vehicle crash on Route 53 just north of Coal City, the Illinois State Police said. Jones was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe and rear-ended a 2013 Chevrolet Cruz, which then rear-ended a 2003 Chevrolet sedan, police said.

Prosecutors asked for Jones to receive 24 months of conditional discharge and 60 days in jail, Will County State’s Attorney spokeswoman Carole Cheney said.

Jones’ attorney, Eugene Fimbianti, asked for his client to receive conditional discharge, community service and no jail time.

Fimbianti said Jones took full responsibility for what happened Nov. 24.

“He’s not hiding from it,” he said.

During the sentencing hearing, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Dmitri Kachan said Jones is a public servant and should be held to a “higher standard.”

“Public servants should be held to a higher standard seeing as they are a role model for the public,” he said.

Kachan also said Jones previously had pleaded guilty to DUI in 2008.

Kachan also argued Zelazo should consider there was a 9-year-old child in Jones’ car at the time of the crash, but Zelazo said Jones was not charged with having a minor in the car.

Kachan called two witnesses, Chris Earley and former Braidwood Mayor James Vehrs.

Earley claimed he took photos and a video that captured Jones driving away from Berkot’s Super Foods in Braidwood in May while his license was suspended. Vehrs said he viewed video of a similar incident at a Marathon gas station in July.

Earley said he took the photos and video because he thought Jones was “spitting in the eye of the law” by driving while his license was suspended.

Zelazo rejected one of the videos shown in court after sustaining Fimbianti’s objection to it on the grounds of hearsay. Zelazo said Jones was not charged with driving while his license was suspended.

Fimbianti had called Braidwood Historical Society president George Kocek as a witness, who said Jones was his friend and that he was “probably the most charitable person in Braidwood.”