Jeff Tomczak In the News

• Moustis Not Arraigned Yet

  Moustis Not Arraigned Yet

  August 24, 2010 | Joliet Herald News

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  JOLIET -- Although Matthew Moustis was arrested last month and appeared in court again Monday, he has yet to be arraigned -- meaning formally charged -- in his battery case.

  So he was in front of Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt only briefly Monday morning. Moustis will return to court at 9 a.m. Sept. 27.

  Moustis, 17, is accused of stabbing 18-year-old Mokena resident Brandon Lauer during a fight over a girl July 14 in the parking lot of Indian Trails School in Frankfort. Lauer's neck was slashed and he was stabbed in the chest. Moustis has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery.

  Moustis is being represented by Jeff Tomczak. The case is not being prosecuted by the Will County State's Attorney's office. Appellate prosecutor Charles Colburn is handling the case instead to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest since Moustis is the son of Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort.

  While in front of the judge Monday, Tomczak said his client's next court date would be for status pending a possible arraignment by a Will County Grand Jury.

• Chief Justice Announces Additional Funding for Probation Services...

  Chief Justice Announces Additional Funding for Probation Services Granted by Governor

  August 6, 2010 | Joliet Herald News

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  Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald announced Friday that Gov. Pat Quinn has restored $20 million to the Supreme Court’s current budget to help fund probation services throughout the state.

  The governor responded to an appeal by the Chief Justice for the second year in a row to add funds for probationary services to remain a viable component of public safety.

  For Fiscal Year 2011, the legislature appropriated $36.4 million to the Supreme Court for grants and awards, including probation services. That is the same amount it appropriated last year, and less than half of what had been appropriated for probation services in 2002.

  Last year, the governor restored $16 million after an appeal by Chief Justice Fitzgerald and conversations between the governor’s office and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, headed by Director Cynthia Y. Cobbs.

  In a letter to the governor last month asking to increase funds under the governor’s statutory budget authority, the Chief Justice noted that even with the additional funds last year 90 probation officer jobs throughout the state were eliminated because of a shortfall of funding.

  "I am compelled to once again write, with an even more heightened sense of urgency and concern for probation’s continued viability and capacity to promote public safety," the Chief Justice said in a letter to the governor dated July 7, 2010. "Absent an additional allocation of funds in Fiscal Year 2011, there will be a compounded and an accelerated deterioration in probation services. This predictable sequence will begin with a loss of probation officer jobs and the attendant increase in caseload size, reductions in both frequency and quality of offender supervision, and heightened threats to public safety."

  Two days after the Chief Justice’s correspondence, the Governor directed Comptroller Daniel Hynes to delegate an additional $20 million for use by the Supreme Court to fund probation reimbursements.

  "This is the second year in a row that the Governor has graciously responded to the Supreme Court’s requests that fiscal resources for probation services be increased beyond what the legislature has initially appropriated," said Chief Justice Fitzgerald. "I, the Court and the hundreds of persons who make probation services work in this state are very grateful.

  "As I have said in my comments earlier this year before the Appropriation Committees of both houses of the legislature, probation services are a vital component of public safety. The Supreme Court has a firm belief in the value of probation services and an unwavering commitment to sustain its availability as a practical sentencing alternative in the State of Illinois.

  "Though far short of the 100 percent statutory mandate to reimburse counties for probation expenditures, these additional dollars will raise funding to a level which will avoid further erosion of probation’s critical public safety mission."

  If the statutory full amount of reimbursement to the counties for probation services were appropriated, it would be as much as $95 million.

  "We are grateful to the Governor for the increased allocation of funds for probation services," said Director Cobbs. "The Supreme Court and the Administrative Office will continue our fiscal stewardship of the additional funds to ensure probation services in Illinois are targeted to promote improved public safety."

  In 2009, Illinois probation officers supervised more than 97,000 adults and nearly 15,000 juveniles. They also conducted more than 37,900 bond and pre-sentence investigations and staffed 16 juvenile detention centers with an average daily population of almost 500 youths.

  (FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Joseph Tybor, press secretary to the Illinois Supreme Court, at 312.793.2323)

• Tomczak Named State's Attorney of the Year

  Tomczak named State's Attorney of the Year

  March 22, 2004 | Joliet Herald News

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  The Illinois State Crime Commission announced Friday that Will County State's Attorney Jeff Tomczak has been selected as the 2004 State's Attorney of the Year.

  This is the second consecutive year that he has received the award, and the first time in 10 years that the State Crime Commission has named a consecutive recipient for the honor.

  "We selected Jeff Tomczak for a second honor for a very simple reason. Jeff has set a new standard," said Jerry Elsner, Illinois State Crime Commission executive director, Tomczak has developed innovative programs, prosecuted innovative cases, and produced innovative solutions to crime, Elsner said.

  He also cited Tomczak's work in cases involving consumer fraud and identity theft as additional reasons for the second honor.

  "Our executive board especially is impressed by Jeff's commitment to the faith-based community in Will County," Elsner said. "We agree that local pastors have a unique ability to turn around those who would flirt with a criminal career.

  "His work service programs are something others should emulate."

  The commission will host a recognition dinner in Tomczak's honor at 7:30 p.m. June 24 at Drury Lane, Oak Brook Terrace.

• Nursing Home Fined After Resident Dies

  Nursing home is fined after hurt resident dies
  State: Nurses allegedly waited too long to call paramedics

  August 21, 2003 | Joliet Herald News | Charles B. Pelkie: Staff Writer

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  State health officials have fined a Joliet nursing home $10,000 because its nurses allegedly waited a half hour before calling paramedics after they found a 74-year-old resident in full cardiac arrest.

  The Illinois Department of Public Health announced the fine against Glenwood Care Center, 222 N. Hammes, in a press release on Tuesday. A state public health report obtained by The Herald News earlier this year says that the nurses who found an unresponsive Lorraine Carlson at 11:20 p.m. on Jan. 27 waited 36 minutes before contacting a private ambulance service.

  Paramedics, who arrived two minutes after receiving the call, put Carlson on a heart monitor at 11:58 p.m. and discovered that she was experiencing rapid contractions, according to the public health report. She was rushed to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room 28 minutes later.

  The attending nurse told public health investigators that "the delay in calling the ambulance was due to (the nurse) being so busy doing other things," according to the report.

  Will County State's Attorney Jeff Tomczak sued the nursing home earlier this year. To avoid a legal battle, the nursing home agreed to allow a temporary administrator to take over the facility for a five-month period beginning in April. The interim administrator exited the facility on Aug. 1 after giving the nursing home a clean bill of health.

  Carlson's family also has filed a lawsuit against Glenwood Care Center.

  The nursing home is contesting the fine and the allegations made by public health officials. The nurse who was responsible for Carlson's care was suspended and eventually was fired.

• Tomczak named State's Attorney of the Year

  Tomczak named State's Attorney of the Year

  May 27, 2003 | Joliet Herald News

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  The Illinois State Crime Commission announced its selection of Jeff Tomczak to receive its State's Attorney of the Year Award at the Crime Commissions' annual dinner, "A Salute to Those Who Make A Difference" June 18 at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace. In December 2000, Tomczak became the 27th prosecutor to serve as the state's attorney for Will County. Upon entering the office, Tomczak concentrated his efforts on improving prosecutions for driving under the influence of alcohol. His work led to a 187 percent increase in convictions during the first year of his administration.

  In conjunction with the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, Tomczak created a statewide program for mandatory blood testing of suspended DUI drivers. He also brought the "Drunk Busters" program to Will County.

  Tomczak also created the Consumer Fraud Unit to prevent fraud upon senior citizens as well as help collect child support for working families. He organized for first Identity Task Force Investigation Unit, now the model used throughout the State of Illinois, which to date has helped restore the credit and good name of more than 300 citizens.

  Tomczak started the Rapid Assistance Program to provide after- hours service to victims of domestic violence. He also opened branch offices in DuPage and Crete Townships in order to expand services to the areas furthest from the county seat in Joliet.

  Tomczak has focused efforts on community outreach by forming Will County's first Faith-Based Community Outreach group, organizing the County Juvenile Justice Council, and writing legislation to protect police officers from violence.

  Tomczak is a native of Chicago. He attended De LaSalle High School, DePaul University and the John Marshall Law School where he was the magistrate of the Phi Delta Phi law fraternity. Jeff and his wife, Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak, live in New Lenox, with their twin daughters, Lina and Rose.

  With the help of such distinguished individuals and relying entirely on community contributions rather than government funding, the commission has become they most dynamic, effective and respected crime fighting organization in Illinois.

• Jury Finds Saltzman Guilty

  Jury finds Saltzman guilty
  Sentencing March 28: Had been accused of attempted 1st-degree murder of stepfather

  February 8, 2002 | Joliet Herald News

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  A jury on Thursday found 22-year-old Brent Saltzman guilty of attempted murder and aggravated battery for the beating of his stepfather, Will County Treasurer Jack Weber.

  Weber's daughters and his friends sat in silence as the judge announced the guilty verdicts on two counts of aggravated battery. But they cried out with emotion as the judge read the guilty verdicts on the two more serious charges of attempted first-degree murder. Jurors deliberated for three hours and 40 minutes Thursday afternoon.

  Saltzman faces up to 60 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 28.

  The guilty verdicts capped five days of emotional testimony.

  The prosecution presented evidence aimed at proving that Saltzman intended to kill his then 63-year-old stepfather by striking him repeatedly with his hands.

  Saltzman's defense attorneys presented no witnesses. But through the cross-examination of the prosecution's witnesses, they attempted to show that Weber fell during a family argument with his stepson and knocked his head against the bathtub and floor in the bathroom of his Shorewood home on Oct. 8, 2000.

  State's Attorney Jeff Tomczak urged jurors not to believe the defense's theory that Weber was the victim in a simple domestic squabble that got out of hand. Tomczak pointed at the defendant and called him "a spoiled brat" and "a bully" who struck his mother and then began to beat Weber after his stepfather reached for the telephone to call police during the argument. "These folks were living with a tyrant, a violent tyrant," Tomczak said. "This was a guy who wouldn't even give a 63-year-old man the right to square off with him." During his closing comments, Tomczak accused Saltzman of giving Weber "a sucker punch" that knocked the treasurer cold. The defendant then got on top of his helpless stepfather and repeatedly struck him, fracturing his skull in two places, shattering the bones on the left side of his face and causing internal brain injuries.

  The respected Republican county treasurer, who is now 65, remains in a suburban rehabilitation center. He is not expected to fully recover from his brain injuries.

  Defense attorney George Lynch argued that Saltzman struck Weber with his elbow only once and that the treasurer suffered his life-threatening head injuries when he fell. Tomczak, however, urged jurors to consider statements made to police and family friends by Weber's wife, 51-year-old Bonnie Weber, who is the only witness to the brutal attack. Bonnie Weber testified early this week that she did not see her son strike her husband. But Tomczak, who held up photographs depicting Jack Weber's injuries, reminded jurors that she had told friends and police investigators on the day of the attack that Saltzman had repeatedly struck her husband with his fists. And he asked jurors to remember the tape of a 911 call that a desperate Bonnie Weber placed on the day her husband was attacked. The state's attorney quoted Bonnie Weber from the tape: "`My son tried to kill my husband.' That's the sum and substance of what Bonnie Weber saw." The defense did not know what to make of Bonnie Weber's testimony. Lynch conceded that she did not tell the truth. But in a bizarre twist, the defense attorney suggested that police had botched the investigation by ruling her out too quickly as a suspect.

  The courtroom was packed with Jack Weber's friends and family members. Among those in attendance were Joliet Councilmen Joe Shetina, who testified for the prosecution, and Robert Hacker. Joliet Mayor Art Schultz listened to testimony on Wednesday afternoon. And Will County Sheriff Brendan Ward also attended portions of the trial. Retired restaurateur Earl D'Amico, a longtime friend of Jack Weber, was present for the entire trial. Jack Weber belonged to a crowd that for 40 years had met for lunch at D'Amico's Joliet restaurants. "I'm here for the kids and out of my feelings for Jack," he said. "He's a good friend. He's like a brother."

  Jack Weber's daughters, Susan Dienslake and Judith Weber, have declined to comment while the trial was pending. Susan Dienslake spoke through tears after the verdicts were announced. "It's been a very emotional and stressful week," she said. We're very relieved that the trial is over."

  The sisters said they never doubted that Saltzman intended to kill their father during that beating. They noted that Jack Weber had placed a deadbolt on his bedroom door out of fear that his stepson might harm him. On the morning of the attack, Saltzman easily forced open the door, breaking the deadbolt and splintering the wooden frame.

  Bonnie Weber sat quietly while waiting for the jury to return Thursday afternoon. She pulled a rosary from her purse and prayed intently on a bench outside Judge Stephen White's courtroom late in the afternoon. Her ex-husband, Bunny Saltzman, who is Brent Saltzman's father, placed a hand on Bonnie Weber's shoulder when she buried her face in her hands. She said Thursday that the jury had made "a giant mistake" and promised to appeal. She insisted that the truth did not come out during the trial.

• Mattress, Stroller Recalled

  Mattress, stroller recalled
  Baby products made by Indiana company

  February 18, 1999 | Chicago Sun-Times

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  A brand of mattress blamed in the death of an 11-month-old Joliet boy last year was recalled Wednesday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturer. A type of tandem stroller that has collapsed and caused serious injuries also was recalled. Both products were made by Cosco Inc. of Columbus, Ind., which is offering consumers a $25 check to replace the mattress and a free repair kit for the stroller.

  About 60,000 mattresses sold with Cosco model "M" tubular metal cribs were recalled. They were built between July, 1994, and September, 1997.

  When a baby stands in the crib, the edges of the mattress can collapse between bars on the crib platform and the baby can be trapped between the bars. Twelve children have been trapped, including Jamie Ross of Joliet, who suffocated July 18 when his head was trapped.

  Jeff Tomczak, a lawyer who represents Ross' parents, Shauna and Michael, in a lawsuit against Cosco, said his clients were happy about the recall.

  The "M" is the third character in the model number, which is stamped with the manufacturing date on a label on the bottom of the crib's end panel. The cribs, which cost up to $150, come in a variety of colors, and "Cosco" is written on the cribs' labels and on the mattress tags.

  Consumers should stop using the mattresses immediately or place a board, measuring 51 5/8 inches by 27 1/4 inches, under the mattress.

  The model "M" cribs were among several Cosco cribs that were recalled in 1997 because people were assembling them incorrectly.

  About 57,000 Geoby Two Ways tandem strollers also were recalled. Plastic locks on the folding mechanisms can break, causing the strollers to collapse.

  Cosco has received about 3,000 complaints about the locks failing, including 250 reports of strollers suddenly collapsing. More than 200 injuries were reported, including head injuries as babies fell to the ground, a fractured forearm, finger and arm lacerations, and various bumps and bruises.

  The strollers being recalled are models 01-644, which cost about $110, and 01-645, which includes a car seat and costs about $170. They were made between February, 1997, and February, 1998.

  "Cosco by Geoby" is written on the plastic side lock covers, and "Two Ways" is embroidered on the front seat's support.

  The model number and manufacture date are stamped on a label on the back leg frame, just above the wheel. The four-digit manufacture date on the label represents the week and year the stroller was built, and the recall applies to those made between 0697 and 0698.

  Owners of the strollers should stop using them immediately. The free repair kit contains two secondary locking pins that will prevent the strollers from collapsing. To obtain the repair kit for the stroller or the $25 check to buy a new mattress, contact Cosco at (800) 221-6736 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The company will help consumers identify whether their strollers or mattresses are subject to the recall.

Ragan Freitag In the News

• Ragan Freitag Appointed to Wilmington City Council

  Ragan Freitag Appointed to Wilmington City Council

  October 16, 2002 | Joliet Herald News

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  The city council got a new look Tuesday when aldermen approved Mayor Tony McGann's appointment of a recent college graduate to fill a vacant 3rd Ward seat. Ragan Freitag, 21, will be the fourth woman to serve on the Wilmington City Council, and she may very well be the youngest person ever to serve.

  McGann said he appointed Freitag because she's "bright, energetic and knowledgeable." The mayor said he talked to about 12 people who were interested in serving on the council.

  "I hope to be a role model for other people my age and get them more interested in government," Freitag said.

  McGann, who has had his differences with the city council, seemed to get a positive response when he announced his intention Oct. 1 to appoint Freitag to fill the council's 3rd Ward vacancy and asked for a vote to be taken at the Oct. 15 meeting.

  Freitag said she applied for the aldermanic post because she aspires to a political career.

  "I've always had a love for politics," she said.

  And if being the only woman on the city council and its youngest member is likely to be a challenge, that's all right with her.

  Freitag is one of the few women to graduate from The Citadel, a southern military college known for its tough treatment of new students and its rigorous curriculum.

  She chose The Citadel because "it was a challenge. I thought regular college was too easy," she said. "I've always been kind of an overachiever."

  Freitag, who intends to enter law school next year, is preparing for the Law School Admissions Test and working part-time for a local law firm and for U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Morris.

  Freitag will fill the 3rd Ward seat vacated by Robert Kernc, who announced his resignation in August and stepped down effective Oct. 1. She will hold the post until the April election.

  Kernc, who had served on the council for almost four years, declined to specify his reasons for resigning, mentioning only that he didn't like "some of the directions we're going" and a concern that "I'm going to lose friends (if I stay) in this job."

  Kernc added that "he has no hard feelings against anybody on this board."

• Leaving Objects Behind

  Leaving objects behind

  October 16, 2002 | Joliet Herald News

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  In August, Ragan Freitag accomplished something no other woman has ever done. The trail-blazer was the first woman to take only three years, instead of the usual four, to make it through the grueling South Carolina military college, The Citadel. Then, this week -- as if ordinary life wasn't fast-paced enough for her -- Freitag, 21, is in line to become Wilmington's newest, and probably youngest, alderman.

  It's believed the city council would approve Mayor Tony McGann's recommendation that Freitag replace former alderman Bob Kernc, who resigned in August. The position has seven months remaining until spring elections, when a full-term alderman will be elected. Freitag is considering running then for continuation of her term.

  "I think she'll make an outstanding alderman," said McGann. "It's great that someone of her age is interested and involved in municipal government. She's a credit to her city."

  McGann said he had several discussions with Freitag about the responsibilities of being an alderman before recommending her to the council. He said her successful perseverance through The Citadel and her plans to attend law school were key in his decision.

  "I'm so excited," said Freitag. "I'm honored that I was even considered. I want to show the city of Wilmington and surrounding communities that it's good to bring a younger community into the government. I hope to be a role model for young people to get involved."

  Freitag plans to pursue a political career after law school, to which she is now applying. She hopes to study law in the Chicago area.

  Her dream of pursuing a political career began with her wish to attend a military university when she was just a child.

  "My dad was in military intelligence in Vietnam," she said. "I've always looked up to my dad and I wanted to follow in his footsteps."

  When she was a teen-ager, she read that The Citadel had begun accepting women, and she knew right away that was the place for her. Freitag first had to overcome substantial odds just to gain a spot there.

  Hundreds of applicants are rejected each year by the exclusive school -- only 20 percent who apply get in. And until 1995, The Citadel was an all-male college, with a rich southern tradition dating back to 1842. It took a federal court order for the college to admit its first female student seven years ago.

  The nation watched as Shannon Faulkner stumbled, then dropped out. The next year, four women were admitted, but only two made it through their freshman year. Of the 2,000 students enrolled in The Citadel this year, a little more than 100 -- five percent -- are women. Freitag's class was only the third graduating class of women.

  The graduate said she felt there was still some tension about women attending the school.

  "It changed their environment," she said. "Overall, they're still getting used to us being there. But with each year, there are more and more of us coming in and as the women begin to serve in higher positions and serve as role models for the younger women coming in, it gets better."

  More than a third of Freitag's class dropped out; most during the first week, known as "hell week."

  Throughout her three years there, Freitag pulled late nights and rose with the sun to get her work done. She only slept about four hours each night. Academics were similar to other universities, she said, but The Citadel also required health and nutrition and ROTC classes. Freitag chose the army out of the four branches of services and took courses in map reading, military courtesy, and field movements, among others.

  She also participated in drills and physical training tests.

  The Citadel requires strict dress codes of its students. Freitag had about 15 different uniforms, one for each event in which she participated.

  Her hair was cut short the first day -- shaved around the sides and back "three fingers up." The rest was less than three inches long. The short locks didn't bother Freitag much, though.

  "I came in with hair to my shoulders," she said. "They saved me `til last. Mine was the longest. It really didn't matter much to me, though. I was just so excited to be there."

  Freitag said even harder than being one of the few women there was being an even rarer Northerner.

  "Not only was I a girl," she said, "but I was a Yankee. Most of the students were Southerners. They were from South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee. We had to respond to everyone by saying, `Yes, sir' or `No, ma'am.' They grew up with it. It's part of the culture there. It was really hard for me to do that. I couldn't get the hang of it. Now, I think it's wonderful to use that. It's respect."

  Graduating from the rigorous South Carolina college is difficult enough with a normal course load, but Freitag managed to squeeze extra classes in to her already tight schedule and take summer classes -- some at Joliet Junior College --to graduate one year early. She became an overachiever on a campus of overachievers.

  "It was extraordinarily hard," she said, "But I've always been an over- achiever. I thought, `If I can do it, why not?' It was just one more challenge to overcome."

  She's working as an intern for Congressman Jerry Weller and at the Joliet law firm, Rathbun, Cservenyak, and Kozol.

  The best part about being home? "Not having to wear a uniform," she said. "And getting to grow my hair out. I'm looking forward to going into the next stage of my life."

• Marching to a Different Drummer

  Marching to a Different Drummer

  April 23, 2000 | Joliet Herald News

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  On the day Ragan Freitag found out she'd made homecoming court at Joliet Catholic Academy, she got a letter telling her she'd been accepted at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

  Her friends, Ragan said, thought she was crazy. Her younger sister, Morgan, now a junior at JCA, said Ragan always liked to do different things.

  "I wanted a challenge," admitted Ragan, who is believed to be the first woman from our area to be admitted to this exclusive military college.

  During her first "hell week" in August, she fainted and ended up in an emergency room.

  But there was no backing out for Ragan, one of only 37 girls in a class of 639.

  "We gave her the chance to quit, but no matter what, she's stuck with it," said her mom, Georgia.

  "My thing was that no matter what, quitting was not an option.

  No matter how tired, sad, or lonely I felt, I just wasn't going to quit," Ragan explained.

  Still, Ragan said she has nothing to prove.

  "I'm not there to make a difference or to set an example.

  I'm there to get the education, military aspect, physical aspect, everything," Ragan said while on spring break back home in Wilmington.

  "And to make my parents proud," she added.

  It took a federal court order for The Citadel, which opened in 1842, to admit its first female student in 1995. The nation watched Shannon Faulkner falter, then drop out.

  The next year four women started; only two made it through freshman year.

  Countless news stories have focused on just how grilling a "knob's" first year is at this college - and harassment women students face.

  Rated "best college value" this year by U.S. News and World Report, The Citadel admits only about 20 percent of those who apply.

  Freshman year is considered the toughest and an average grade point for that year is 2.0. But Ragan made the dean's list her first semester with a 3.7 out of 4.0, a notable achievement.

  As early as her freshman year at Joliet Catholic Academy, where she played girls basketball and was an honor student, she knew that The Citadel was the type of college she wanted to attend.

  She thought about West Point but didn't want to be obligated to serve in the military.

  She first visited The Citadel while in her senior year and she got good vibes.

  She was accepted early in September 1998, one of the 20 percent accepted out of the 700 who applied.

  At first her mom wasn't too crazy about the idea.

  "I thought that's not what my daughter's supposed to do.

  I would never stop her from doing it, though.

  I knew that's what she wanted to do," she said.

  The military is a family tradition on her dad Roger's side of the family.

  "For her going to The Citadel, it makes me proud.

  I served in the service as did my father and grandfather.

  Ragan definitely has direction and focus," he said.

  Still he stressed: "This isn't a dream of ours.

  It's hers."

  The first eight days at school are the toughest.

  Ragan described it as basically eight rigid days of physical training and not much sleep.

  This is where the "weaklings" are weeded out.

  Upperclassmen yell at the students as they train and tell everyone to go home and that they're not wanted there.

  "This is what makes people break down and quit -- they take it personally. You can't do that.

  What they're trying to do is rid people of their preconceived ideas and attitudes and enforce good qualities that make the graduates so prominent," Ragan said.

  During that week, when the temperature can soar to 100 degrees, Ragan became dehydrated and hyperventilated.

  "I remember looking straight ahead and it kept getting darker and darker. Next thing I remember I woke up in the emergency room," she said.

  The next day she was back on track.

  She gained a lot of respect for sticking with it.

  Her company started with 40 and has now dwindled down to 25.

  Two girls quit after seeing their hair cut, Ragan remembered with a chuckle.

  "It gets lonely.

  Sometimes I look around my class and I'm the only girl," said Ragan.

  She has two classes with one other girl but for the rest of the classes she's just one of the guys.

  The school has held a couple of meetings for just girls.

  "They're basically just to let us know that there are people to talk to and to let us know that even though we're girls, the school does want us there," Ragan said.

  In her company there are four girls and she said they are real close.

  "The only people who will ever know exactly what I went through are those classmates of mine who went though it with me," she said.

  Sheila Fry, who taught Ragan at Joliet Catholic Academy in English IV Honors, said many people told Ragan she'd never make it at The Citadel.

  "All year long she struck me as a person who knew her own mind," she said. "She's a very independent person at place where they (Citadel) tell you what to do."

  Hanging out with the girls is one of the big things Ragan misses.

  She also misses her best friend, her sister.

  When Ragan returns home for school breaks her favorite thing to do is relax.

  "I love to just be able to wear regular clothes, to drive a car, and spend time with my family.

  Just to sit here and be normal is awesome," she said.

  Ragan keeps in close contact with her family through late-night e-mails and phone calls on the weekend.

  "Mostly I miss sitting around with her.

  Or if I wanted to do something, she was the one I always used to do it with," said Morgan.

  "When she comes home, it's just like it was before she left.

  She's my best friend," she added.

  Even despite the vigorous training (she and feeling homesick, Ragan knows that The Citadel has so much to offer her.

  Her major is political science and next year she hopes to minor in French.

  Ragan plans to get a master's degree in foreign affairs and with The Citadel under her belt she expects to have endless opportunities.

  She said that 95 percent of seniors there already know where they'll go right after graduation.

  One senior she knows had five job offers the first week of school.

  Ragan just recently returned from spring break for the last stretch before finishing freshman year.

  May 11 is Recognition Day and she's not sure exactly what's in store for her.

  All she knows is the stories she's heard. According to those stories, all the "knobs" indulge in a last meal before enduring 24 hours of physical training that includes a 10-mile run and ends with 103 sit-ups (103 because Ragan's class will graduate in 2003.) May 13 is the last day of school.

  Over the summer, Ragan plans to take classes at Joliet Junior College and notes that things will be different when she returns for sophomore year at Citadel.

  She'll be allowed to grow her hair out a little and be able to wear a little jewelry and makeup.

  She also looks forward to applying for rank.

  "I love knowing that I actually did something.

  In the past seven months I feel that I've done so much and have worked so hard and accomplished so much," she said.

  Will The Citadel find its way into Morgan's college plan?

  "No, I'm going to a normal college, Citadel isn't normal," she said and laughed.

  "It's just different," Ragan retaliated.

Tomczak Team In the News

• Victim reported 2 knife attacks on same day

  Victim reported 2 knife attacks on same day

  July 28, 2010 | Joliet Herald News

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  When the county cops found Brandon Lauer sprawled and bleeding in a Frankfort Square parking lot, the wounded youth accused the son of Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis of cutting him up with a knife.

  Just 18 hours before this, Lauer had called the law and told them he was on the wrong end of another knife attack, this one at the hands of his former girlfriend, who is now dating Moustis' son, Matthew Moustis.

  The younger Moustis, age 17, was jailed on a charge of aggravated battery in connection with the second alleged knife attack, which the police say he perpetrated July 14 in the parking lot of Indian Trail School on Frankfort Square Road.

  The 16-year-old girl Lauer accused of stabbing him before that, in the early hours of July 14, was in on the second incident as well, Lauer said. He claims she handed Matthew Moustis the knife he allegedly used to slash his neck and stick into his chest.

  "She did it slowly, so I wouldn't see," Lauer, 18, said.

  Differing stories

  But Jeff Tomczak, the attorney representing Matthew Moustis, claims a private investigator in his employ discovered two witnesses who have said Lauer was alone when he was supposedly being stabbed by his client. "The only thing that's proved beyond a reasonable doubt at this point is that Matt and his friend were not at the park at the time this individual was stabbed," Tomczak said.

  Lauer's parents, Eric and Laura Lauer, however, insist one of these witnesses will put Moustis and his girlfriend at the scene of the crime.

  "He saw Matthew Moustis stab him," Laura Lauer said.

  Brandon Lauer claims Matthew Moustis slashed his neck. When he fell to the ground, he said, Matthew Moustis plunged the knife in his chest.

  Paramedics transported Lauer to St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields. He was then flown in a helicopter to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for further treatment.

  Now out of the hospital, Brandon Lauer says he is still "really sore and light-headed."

  Tomczak said his investigator turned up evidence that Brandon Lauer was stalking and harassing his former girlfriend prior to the night of the stabbing. He also said court records show the young man has a history of cutting himself.

  Brandon Lauer denied this, but in a petition for an order of protection his mother sought against him in 2006, Laura Lauer wrote, "Brandon is bi-polar and has (an) anger problem, He's off his meds ... In the past Brandon has cut his arms with a knife."

  On Tuesday, Laura Lauer flatly denied making the sworn statement, then said, "I don't recall that."

  Matthew Moustis is free on a $5,000 cash bond while he awaits trial on a class 3 felony charge that could land him in prison for five years. Eric Lauer thinks his son's alleged attacker got off easy, with too low a bond and too light a charge.

  "It should not be aggravated battery. It should be attempted murder," he said. "They left my son there to die."

  It's called, 'Will County is corrupt,'" said Laura Lauer. "It's all about politics."

  First call to police

  Brandon Lauer was in much better shape the first time he called the police that day to said he was stabbed. On that occasion, Brandon Lauer said that he went to his teenage former girlfriend's Orchard Drive house to return clothes and other gifts she had given him -- including a pocket knife -- since they had broken off their relationship.

  When the girl threatened to cut herself, Brandon Lauer said, he grabbed the blade of the knife.

  "That's why I called the cops," he said. "Because she cut my hand."

  Also that night, Brandon Lauer said, Matthew Moustis, one of Moustis' cousins and two other young men showed up at the girl's house. Lauer said words were exchanged and that the cousin pushed him.

  Special prosecutor

  Soon after Moustis' arrest, State's Attorney James Glasgow handed the case off to the state appellate prosecutor's office "because we have a professional relationship with the county board and we wanted to make sure there wouldn't be even the appearance of a conflict," said Glasgow's spokesman, Charles B. Pelkie. Tomczak said he will request that the appellate prosecutor drop the charges. He also plans to file a motion for a forensic pathologist to examine Lauer's wounds to see if they were self-inflicted, thereby clearing Matthew Moustis.

  "This young man has been wrongly accused," Tomczak said. "I truly believe that."

  Jim Moustis declined to discuss the details of his son's case but did maintain that the teen is innocent.

  "It is really tough when your son is accused of a crime," said Moustis, who has been the chairman of the county board since 1998.

  "A child really, just turned 17, is accused of a crime and you know he didn't do it," Moustis said.

  But the alleged victim's father felt a bit differently.

  "Will County dropped the ball, and that's because of who his dad is," said Eric Lauer. "It's far from over, and it gets worse every day."

• Driver painting nails in fatal crash deeply sorry

  Driver painting nails in fatal crash deeply sorry, gets 1.5 years jail

  July 23, 2010 | Chicago SunTimes

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  A driver who was painting her fingernails when she struck and killed motorcyclist Anita Zaffke tearfully apologized Thursday before she was sentenced for triggering the deadly 2009 traffic collision.
  "I want the family to know how deeply sorry I am for my actions," 49-year-old Lora Hunt said, looking across the Waukegan courtroom at Zaffke's relatives. "Not a day goes by that I don't cry and feel their pain. I wish I could embrace this family and tell them personally how sorry I am."
  Her apology, though, didn't spare Hunt time behind bars: Lake County Judge Fred Foreman sentenced her to 18 months of periodic imprisonment, then ordered her to be taken into custody immediately.
  The sentence will keep her in the Lake County Jail at night, though allow her to be free during the day to work, receive medical care or mental health counseling and perform community service.
  But Hunt, a nurse from Downstate Morris, isn't working now -- so she will spend virtually all of her time in the jail, authorities said.
  Defense attorney Jeffery Tomczak, who had sought probation for Hunt, was dismayed by the term imposed.
  "He maxed her out on incarceration," Tomczak said of Foreman's sentence. "I only wish Judge Foreman would have considered more of her good deeds."
  Hunt wept as she was taken into custody, telling her husband, adult children and extended family: "I love all you guys."
  She was convicted in May of reckless homicide and faced up to five years in prison for slamming into Zaffke's motorcycle at a traffic signal on Route 12 and Old McHenry Road.
  But Hunt, who had a clean driving record before the crash, also was eligible for probation.
  Prosecutor Michael Mermel asked for the maximum prison term, noting that Hunt admitted to police following the May 2, 2009, accident that she had been "distracted" because she was painting her fingernails as she drove.
  "Because the defendant wanted pretty nails, Anita Zaffke had to die," Mermel said as he asked for a prison term.
  Zaffke's relatives said they were satisfied with the punishment imposed by Foreman.
  "We feel it was an appropriate sentence," said her son, 32-year-old Greg Zaffke II, adding that family were pleased that Hunt will not walk away from the deadly crash without having to spend time in custody.
  "It's not probation and it's not community service," he said, sporting black nail polish to honor his mother.
  Greg Zaffke was less impressed with Hunt's apology and the good wishes she offered toward his family.
  "My problem is I can't hug my mom," he said. "That's the missing link here."
  Zaffke's husband, Greg Sr., said he didn't doubt the sincerity of Hunt's apology. But the elder Zaffke said he still wanted Hunt held accountable for the death of his wife of 35 years -- a woman he described in court as "my soul mate, my best friend, the best part of my life."
  "It's a void no one is going to be able to fill," Greg Sr. said after the sentencing.
  Hunt initially told police she had been painting her nails as she approached the intersection where she struck the 56-year-old Zaffke. Nail polish was found spattered inside her car, including on the airbag that deployed and helped prevent Hunt from suffering serious injuries in the crash.
  However, during her May trial, Hunt testified that she stopped painting her nails as she approached the intersection but didn't see Zaffke in front of her because she was watching the traffic signal change to yellow as she approached.
  "I was not still painting my nails," Hunt said during her trial. "I was looking at the yellow light."
  Jurors deliberated for less than four hours before convicting her of reckless homicide for causing the collision.
  In imposing his sentence, Foreman decried what he called an "epidemic" of distracted driving that has motorists paying little attention to the other drivers around them.
  "In our society, distracted driving has become an epidemic," Foreman noted, adding that he hopes the notoriety surrounding the case might help discourage motorists from driving while performing other tasks.
  "If we can get that message out of this tragedy, maybe something positive can come out of this," Foreman said.
  Foreman also placed Hunt on 30 months probation and ordered her to perform 240 hours of community service.

• Woman sentenced in nail-painting accident

  Woman sentenced in nail-painting accident

  July 22, 2010 | abc7chicago.com

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  The judge sentenced Lora Hunt to 18 months in jail and 30 months probation. While announcing the sentence, the judge said that distracted driving in our society is becoming an epidemic.

  The jail term is periodic, meaning Hunt will be able get out for work and therapy.

  Hunt was convicted of reckless homicide in the death of motorcyclist Anita Zaffke in May 2009.

  Hunt spoke at the sentencing hearing. She said she suffers deep pain over Zaffke's death. Police say the mother of five from Morris was painting her nails when she struck and killed a motorcyclist in the northern suburbs.

  Anita Zaffke was sitting on her bike, stopped at a Lake Zurich intersection, when Hunt's car hit her from behind.

  After the accident, Zaffke's son, Greg, painted his nails to call attention to the need for tougher laws to protect motorcyclists.

  The defense said that she paid an emotional price and should get community service. The prosecution said she should get the maximum, five years.

  Hunt broke down in tears as Greg said how much he missed his mother Anita at his wedding last week.

  "An appropriate sentence would be one that again, doesn't allow her to get on with life and forget," said Greg Zaffke. "We want a sentence that is going to provide an opportunity for her to truly understand what she has done and not forget about the huge loss that she has provided my family."

  Zaffke testified about his mother's love for motorcycles, biking, hiking and books, and said his mother was most proud of her recent degree from Roosevelt university.

  "The trial was not as much about my mother rather than trying to blame the victim, and now we get a chance to tell the court the kind of person that my mother was," said Greg Zaffke.

  Zaffke's husband and son both wore black nail polish on their left hand in court and read emotional statements during the sentencing hearing.

  Greg Zaffke said he agonizes over not being able to tell his mother that he loves her one more time, but he did say the sentence was appropriate.

  "We feel it was an appropriate sentence," said Zaffke. "We appreciate Judge Forman's acknowledgement of the epidemic of distracted driving and the need to apply a sentence that will serve as a warning to all motorists that their actions behind the wheel have serious consequences to those on the road that they may hurt or kill."

  ABC7 was told that Hunt had wanted to reach out to the Zaffke family throughout the trial but could not because of legal reasons. "We will not shrug our collective shoulders and take the easy way out, calling this just another tragic accident as some other counties have chosen to do," said Assistant Lake County State's Attorey Michael Mermel. "The sentence which Judge Forman imposed actually results in a longer incarceration period than if she would had been given a longer time of imprisonment, so for all the good things that we heard about Lora Hunt, I don't think any of them were truly considered," said defense attorney Jeff Tomczak.

  During the sentencing, Hunt was described by her pastor and therapist as being incredibly tormented by the accident, and her brother testified that she had talked about killing herself. Eight people, including her husband and two of her children, testified in her defense.

  While the hearing proceeded, she was very emotional, breaking down in tears several times.

  Since his mother's death, Greg Zaffke's life cause has been to raise awareness about distracted drivers, and he says he hopes to take his message to high schools and the Department of Motor Vehicles with an interactive exhibit. He also plans to set up a foundation.

  A hearing on a possible financial restitution is scheduled for August 20th.

  (Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

• Woman in nail-polish crash to spend nights in prison

  Woman in nail-polish crash to spend nights in prison
  Driver sentenced to year and a half, but can work during day

  July 22, 2010 | By Ruth Fuller, Special to the Tribune

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  The judge sentenced Lora Hunt to 18 months in jail and 30 months probation. While announcing the sentence, the judge said that distracted driving in our society is becoming an epidemic.

  The jail term is periodic, meaning Hunt will be able get out for work and therapy.

  Hunt was convicted of reckless homicide in the death of motorcyclist Anita Zaffke in May 2009.

  Hunt spoke at the sentencing hearing. She said she suffers deep pain over Zaffke's death. Police say the mother of five from Morris was painting her nails when she struck and killed a motorcyclist in the northern suburbs.

  Anita Zaffke was sitting on her bike, stopped at a Lake Zurich intersection, when Hunt's car hit her from behind.

  After the accident, Zaffke's son, Greg, painted his nails to call attention to the need for tougher laws to protect motorcyclists.

  The defense said that she paid an emotional price and should get community service. The prosecution said she should get the maximum, five years.

  Hunt broke down in tears as Greg said how much he missed his mother Anita at his wedding last week.

  "An appropriate sentence would be one that again, doesn't allow her to get on with life and forget," said Greg Zaffke. "We want a sentence that is going to provide an opportunity for her to truly understand what she has done and not forget about the huge loss that she has provided my family."

  Zaffke testified about his mother's love for motorcycles, biking, hiking and books, and said his mother was most proud of her recent degree from Roosevelt university.

  "The trial was not as much about my mother rather than trying to blame the victim, and now we get a chance to tell the court the kind of person that my mother was," said Greg Zaffke.

  Zaffke's husband and son both wore black nail polish on their left hand in court and read emotional statements during the sentencing hearing.

  Greg Zaffke said he agonizes over not being able to tell his mother that he loves her one more time, but he did say the sentence was appropriate.

  "We feel it was an appropriate sentence," said Zaffke. "We appreciate Judge Forman's acknowledgement of the epidemic of distracted driving and the need to apply a sentence that will serve as a warning to all motorists that their actions behind the wheel have serious consequences to those on the road that they may hurt or kill."

  ABC7 was told that Hunt had wanted to reach out to the Zaffke family throughout the trial but could not because of legal reasons. "We will not shrug our collective shoulders and take the easy way out, calling this just another tragic accident as some other counties have chosen to do," said Assistant Lake County State's Attorey Michael Mermel. "The sentence which Judge Forman imposed actually results in a longer incarceration period than if she would had been given a longer time of imprisonment, so for all the good things that we heard about Lora Hunt, I don't think any of them were truly considered," said defense attorney Jeff Tomczak.

  During the sentencing, Hunt was described by her pastor and therapist as being incredibly tormented by the accident, and her brother testified that she had talked about killing herself. Eight people, including her husband and two of her children, testified in her defense.

  While the hearing proceeded, she was very emotional, breaking down in tears several times.

  Since his mother's death, Greg Zaffke's life cause has been to raise awareness about distracted drivers, and he says he hopes to take his message to high schools and the Department of Motor Vehicles with an interactive exhibit. He also plans to set up a foundation.

  A hearing on a possible financial restitution is scheduled for August 20th.

  (Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)