By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner
An Algonquin Township trustee, who was removed from office in June due to a prior felony conviction but later temporarily reinstated, has been again removed from office after losing an appeal.
Edward Zimel Jr. was elected in 2021 as a trustee for Algonquin Township.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office in August 2022 filed a complaint in court seeking the removal of Zimel from his position.
Zimel was charged with two counts of felony intimidation and one count of armed violence in 1990 in Cook County, prosecutors said.
He pleaded guilty to one of the intimidation counts and was sentenced on the charge, prosecutors said.
Illinois township code says that anyone convicted “in any court located in the United States of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony” is not eligible to hold office.
“Although the felony conviction of Mr. Zimel stems from 1990, the statute does not contain any limitations or restrictions regarding the time frame for disqualification based on a felony conviction,” the state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.
Zimel’s attorney argued that a five-year statute of limitations applied from the time of conviction when considering a disqualification from office.
Read more here.
Related: “Judge allows case to remove Algonquin Twp. trustee to move forward,” “Algonquin Township trustee forced out of office due to felony conviction now back in office pending appeal”
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