Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
A Cook County judge Friday temporarily blocked the County Board from holding a hearing next week on whether Public Defender Edwin Burnette should be fired.
County Board President Todd Stroger is seeking to remove Burnette for what he calls “dereliction of duty.” But Burnette contends Stroger is retaliating against him for filing a lawsuit last year challenging budget cuts to the public defender’s office.
Circuit Judge Daniel Riley, who is presiding over the suit on budget cuts, issued a temporary restraining order that blocks Wednesday’s hearing. Riley said he was concerned that removing Burnette could undermine the lawsuit.
He rescheduled the matter for May 9 to decide whether to extend the temporary order.
