Joliet woman’s obstructing police case slated for jury trial in June

A trial for Konika Morrow over a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer has been pushed to June.

Morrow is scheduled to have a jury trial at 1:30 p.m. on June 7 after it was originally scheduled for a bench trial on Monday.

Morrow’s attorney Neil Patel had requested a continuance in the case and Judge Bennett Braun approved his motion to reset the trial date, according to Will County State’s Attorney spokeswoman Carole Cheney.

Morrow faces a charge of obstructing a police officer for walking toward Joliet Police Officer Alan Vertin “after being told to stay back,” court records show. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Patel was not available to comment on the case on Tuesday.

Morrow’s charge stems from an incident at a prayer vigil on July 9, 2019, at Sacred Heart Church in Joliet. The vigil was interrupted by officers pursuing an ATV and a dirt bike.

During the incident, Joliet police said the officers pulled over one of the bikers, Joshwa Cooley, Morrow’s nephew, and a “large crowd from the church came over and told Cooley not to talk to the police, and it was OK to ride ATVs in the street.”

Police said the crowd threatened the officers and made “racial/derogatory remarks.” Jamaica Morrow, who was at the vigil, insisted that did not happen.

Police said Konika Morrow refused to stay back from the officers, yelled at them and “attempted to hit the officer with her arm.”

Konika Morrow claimed the police account is false. She said she was merely encouraging Cooley, who is her nephew, to get off his dirt bike. "We told (Cooley) to just let (the officer) take the bike," she said. "Then out of the blue, I get rushed right to the ground. (Eric Ginnard)

Konika Morrow has filed a federal lawsuit against Vertin, Joliet Police Officer Adam Stapleton, Sgt. Javier Esqueda and the City of Joliet.

Her lawsuit claimed she complied with officers’ commands to back away from Cooley and the motorcycle, but Stapleton tackled her without any warning, causing her injury.

Morrow’s lawsuit said when she told Esqueda that she needed an ambulance, Esqueda said, “Get the baby an ambulance,” in a mocking voice.

Konika Morrow’s lawsuit claimed officers fabricated a false report to cover up Stapleton’s “wrongful takedown” of her and that she was deprived of her right to due process and a fair trial.

“Absent this misconduct, the criminal prosecution could not and would not have been pursued,” the lawsuit said.

Attorneys for the City of Joliet denied Konika Morrow’s allegations and claimed Stapleton took her “to the ground over a curb” after she had “swung her elbow at the officer and otherwise resisted and obstructed his duties.”

Esqueda is being represented by his own attorney in the lawsuit case. His attorney denied the allegations that Esqueda mocked Konika Morrow or said, “Get the baby an ambulance,” court records show.

In a series of screen shots from a cellphone video, Joliet police officers can be seen removing Joshwa Cooley from a dirt bike and restraining Konika Morrow on Tuesday, July 9, outside a South Ottawa Street church in Joliet, Ill.