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Still no decision on whether Joliet Township trustee will stay in office

Prosecutors say trustee ineligible because of past felony convictions

By Felix Sarver
Joliet Black Lives Matter activist Karl Ferrell asks questions about police accountability on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at Joliet Area Historical Museum in Joliet, Ill. State Attorney General Kwame Raoul and his team held a small meeting with community members after his announcement of a civil investigation into the Joliet Police Department.

Joliet Black Lives Matter activist Karl Ferrell asks questions about police accountability on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at Joliet Area Historical Museum in Joliet, Ill. State Attorney General Kwame Raoul and his team held a small meeting with community members after his announcement of a civil investigation into the Joliet Police Department. (Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com)

A decision still has yet to be made on whether a Joliet Township trustee will stay on the board despite his felony convictions that prosecutors say make him ineligible for office.

Karl Ferrell, 41, said on Tuesday that he still has no plans to resign from the board and he will ask Gov. JB Pritzker for a “restoration of rights of citizenship” to stay in office. He won a seat on the board in the April election.

“There are ways to resolve my situation,” Ferrell said.

Officials with Will County State’s Attorney’s James Glasgow’s office said Ferrell is ineligible to hold office under the Illinois Township Code because of his past drug and weapon possession convictions.

Board members Cesar Iscutia (left), Suzanna Ibarra, Ray Slattery and Angel Contreras during the Joliet Township regular board meeting. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Joliet.

Board members Cesar Iscutia (left), Suzanna Ibarra, Ray Slattery and Angel Contreras during the Joliet Township regular board meeting. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Joliet. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

The township board had no discussion about Ferrell at Tuesday’s meeting. After the meeting, Joliet Township Supervisor Angel Contreras would only say that the township board is still communicating with the state’s attorney’s office about the issue.

Ferrell was absent from the meeting. He said he would not attend because he had symptoms of COVID-19.

Karl Ferrell Joliet Township Trustee was absent for the Joliet Township regular board meeting. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Joliet.

Karl Ferrell Joliet Township Trustee was absent for the Joliet Township regular board meeting. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Joliet. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Glasgow’s spokeswoman Carole Cheney did not respond to messages and a call Tuesday regarding Ferrell.

An attorney with Glasgow’s civil division notified the township about Ferrell’s ineligibility for office on Dec. 7, according to Cheney. She said the office learned of Ferrell’s past convictions after one of their investigators recalled he had a criminal history, which led to a background check.

“Because Mr. Ferrell is ineligible to hold township office, his votes are void. This can cause the township irreparable harm and it was incumbent upon this office to notify the township of the issue,” Cheney said.

The Illinois Township Code states people convicted of “infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony” are not eligible for township office.

Ferrell contends Glasgow’s office brought up the issue of his ineligibility for office as retaliation against him because of his of his past protests regarding the Eric Lurry case, his protest pushing for hate crime charges against Cord Krol, 53, and his other activism.

Joliet Black Lives Matter activist Karl Ferrell (right) calls for further investigation into the death of Eric Lurry, a Joliet resident who died while in police custody, on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, outside of the District Attorney's Office in Joliet, Ill.

Joliet Black Lives Matter activist Karl Ferrell (right) calls for further investigation into the death of Eric Lurry, a Joliet resident who died while in police custody, on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, outside of the Will County State's Attorney's Office in Joliet, Ill. (Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com)

Cheney said Glasgow’s office notified the township of Ferrell’s ineligibility “based on the law, not any of the claimed reasons given by Mr. Ferrell.”

The “restoration of rights of citizenship” that Ferrell says he plans to receive was something that Markham mayor Roger Agpawa received from former Governor Bruce Rauner in 2018. Agpawa had been deemed ineligible to be mayor by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx because of his 1999 federal felony mail fraud conviction.

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