McDonnell gets 6 years // 15th judge sentenced in Greylord

Circuit Judge John J. McDonnell pleaded for probation Wednesday,but was sentenced to six years in prison because he "sold his office"for bribes.

McDonnell, 54, the 15th judge convicted in the OperationGreylord investigation of Cook County court, asked U.S. DistrictJudge James H. Alesia for probation for the sake of his threechildren in elementary school.

"The McDonnell family is your responsibility, Judge McDonnell,not mine," Alesia said.

"He sold his office and he sold his greed," the judge said insentencing McDonnell on tax and extortion charges.

A jury convicted McDonnell in December of filing false taxreturns, but a mistrial was declared on racketeering, obstruction ofjustice and extortion charges.

In April, Alesia agreed to seal a secret plea bargain to protectMcDonnell's children from negative publicity. The Chicago Sun-Timesreported Aug. 14 that the judge had secretly pleaded guilty toextorting kickbacks from attorney Karl Canavan.

McDonnell had been on paid leave from his $80,599-a-year postpending sentencing. Defense attorney Patrick Tuite said McDonnellresigned from the bench and the bar earlier Wednesday. He mustreport to prison Oct. 13.

"The people in Cook County have a right to expect an honestjudiciary to serve as state court judges," said Alesia. "Your actionsnot only damage yourself and your family, but the reputations ofthose honest men and women who serve as state court judges."

As the federal judge spoke, a grim McDonnell stared straightahead while his wife, Mary Therese, sobbed quietly. She sat in thespectators' section with McDonnell's brother, William, a RomanCatholic priest, and other friends and family members.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Durkin contended thatMcDonnell "sold out everything" by taking bribes and cheating on hisincome taxes.

The government says McDonnell's bribes exceeded $40,000.

Alesia said there were two McDonnells.

One was a former University of Notre Dame football star, publicdefender and state and federal prosecutor who became a judge in 1971.

The other "was a secret John J. McDonnell who was a corruptjudge who took what he called gratuities, which were bribes andextortion (payments) through other lawyers," said Alesia.

In 1973, McDonnell was suspended as a judge for four months forwaving a handgun at a couple in a parking lot.

In 1981, he was acquitted of drunken driving, improper laneusage and obstruction of police officers after a Lake County CircuitCourt bench trial.