One of two Deerfield teenagers accused of breaking into a Highland Park home Aug. 3 will have his case presented to the Lake County Grand Jury for a possible indictment on charges of home invasion and burglary.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Jason Humpke told Judge Raymond Collins at a status hearing in the case of Joseph Mahoney, 17, of Deerfield in Lake County Criminal Court in Waukegan, that the case would be presented to the grand jury for possible indictment
Earlier: Prosecutor Explains Why Mahoney, Norris Charged as Adults
“We’re presenting this to the Grand Jury Wednesday,” Humpke said. At that time, Collins set another status hearing at 9 a.m. Sept. 24 in Waukegan.
Mahoney was not present in court Tuesday. “He’s in an inpatient facility,” Mahoney attorney Chris Cronson told Collins. Cronson would not give any further details to Patch after the hearing.
Josh Norris, 17, of Deerfield was charged with the same offenses Aug. 3. Norris first appeared in court Aug. 15 and is due back at 9 a.m. Sept. 27 for a status hearing. It is not clear if Norris’s case will be presented to the grand jury as well.
According to Ari Fisz, chief of felony review for the Lake County State’s Attorney's Office, grand jury proceedings are secret and he would not confirm the status of the Norris case. “The cases of co-defendants usually go to the grand jury at the same time,” he said.
Norris and Mahoney are charged with one count each of home invasion, a Class X felony, residential burglary, a Class 1 felony, and possession of a stolen firearm, a Class 2 felony. If found guilty, each defendant could receive six to 30 years in jail for home invasion, four to 15 years for burglary and three to seven for the gun claim.
“A Class X Felony is the most serious crime (in Illinois) short of first degree murder,” Fisz said. “If you are found guilty or plead guilty you cannot get probation,” he added explaining the mandatory prison provisions of the charge.
According to Fisz, a burglary occurs when a person enters a home to commit a theft or felony. A home invasion is more. “This is a burglary where the defendant injures someone or has a weapon.”
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