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March 28, 2024

Arcola Township Attorney Mark Petty caught lying to Judge Lincoln in Douglas County Court –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On January 25, 2015

Arcola, IL. (ECWd) –

Once again, the Arcola Township attorney has lied to the Court during a Hearing. This time it was to Judge Lincoln prior to his retirement.

On May 6, 2014, during one of the FOIA suit hearings on Kraft v Arcola Township, case no: 2014-MR-53, Petty was trying to explain why the Township cannot follow the law in relation to the Freedom of Information Act, and he stated as fact that “This gentleman sent 30 requests to Arcola Township.” It appeared that Judge Lincoln was a little surprised by this statement and asked “How many?!“, and Petty repeated that lie by restating “Thirty.

This “exchange of ideas” is found on page 45 of the official transcript (below).

Knowing that to be a lie, later that day I counted the FOIA requests I had sent to Arcola Township since my very first one around April of 2013 – – and the total was 18 requests in a 13 month time-frame – FAR short of the 30 requests that Petty lied to the Court about.

To top that off, just in case I missed some here or there when counting, Kirk Allen requested a copy of every FOIA request I had sent to Arcola Township (just the request – not the responsive documents). Their answer? “We have no documents responsive to that question!

So, not only did Petty lie to the Judge during the hearing, Arcola Township lied when they responded to Kirk’s FOIA request – because we know that have a copy of at least the one I was in court about, even if they threw all the others in the trash.

This appears to be a pattern of behavior with Petty. He is taking advantage of his situation, artificially enhancing his representation, and running the risk of impeachment or otherwise being found not credible.

Previous article on his “not so truthful” ways: https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2015/01/attorney-mark-petty-lied-to-judge-broch-in-douglas-county-court/

[gview file=”https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PettyLieLincoln.pdf”]

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25 Comments
  • Dave
    Posted at 19:02h, 25 January

    Judges don’t like being lied to!

  • backbencher
    Posted at 07:01h, 26 January

    It’s bad enough that the Township is wasting our tax money fighting lawsuits,but do they have to spend it on a lawyer that lies to a judge?

  • Kacus Krasher
    Posted at 17:01h, 26 January

    Why would anybody expect anything but lies from a group that ran the cacus with the so called mandated form everybody had to fill out.Remember all the lies and falsehoods they spread around.A leapord doesn’t change it’s spots and neither do they!

  • sideline sally
    Posted at 04:56h, 28 January

    I wonder if the Township Board is smart enough to understand that their actions before and since the election were their own undoing?Having to tell one lie to cover another has caught up to them!

  • LakeLady
    Posted at 09:42h, 28 January

    They understand alright S.S.,anybody that has ever asked just what is going on has been put off or given less than they asked for.Judges being lied to is no big thing,the powers to be at the Township have been lying to the taxpayers for years.After 25 years you don’t dare question them.

  • Unhappy Taxpayer
    Posted at 17:29h, 28 January

    Well I see the Arcola Record-Herald finally printed some news from the other side of the Township’s lawsuits.It reads alittle different than what Deana,Mark,and Bill are saying,you know the part where they said they kicked the Watchdogs a–.It will be interesting to see,especially for the blind followers of the big 3 at the township,just how much they waste of our tax money fighting a losing battle.Hey Deana,still think the ECWD are going to quit and go away?It sure doesn’t look like they are going anywhere,but after the truth.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 11:12h, 29 January

      Someone send us a copy of that please…

  • Richey Rich
    Posted at 11:14h, 29 January

    Do you really think this is the first time Petty has lied in court? He is not under oath so what do you think is going to happen? Kudos to John and Kirk for hanging in there for the good of the taxpayers. I am so embarrassed when people ask me what in the hell is going on there in Arcola. Something as simple as the one FOIA request for meeting and agenda records not being answered totally shows the arrogance at the township office. I cant imagine what they are hiding in all the other records not sent. I cant wait until the next election.

  • Unhappy Taxpayer
    Posted at 13:13h, 29 January

    jmkraft It’s on the way.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 14:02h, 29 January

      Thanks

  • Purple Raider
    Posted at 15:54h, 29 January

    I invite those not following what the Watchdogs have done to make the College of DuPage Board more transparent and accountable to it’s taxpayers, to read about the meeting last night.The post is very telling and shows just what can happen when like minded people unite and excerise their rite to hold elected officals accountable,even officals elected in townships.Good job Kirk and John,you and the rest of your group are just what we need here in Arcola!

  • Schoolboard
    Posted at 08:40h, 30 January

    I found the COD post very interesting,especially since I was recently involved in a meeting between the Arcola School Board,Arcola City Council,and citizens wanting the Inter Govermental Agreement extended.And after reading this weeks Arcola Record- Herald and the report from the County Board it reminded me of an exchange between Road Comm. Mark Nacke and City Council member Terry Foran.Foran was making a point of how the Township’s finances had grown over the last 4 years and that’s when Nacke interrupted him claiming they needed that money for a $750,000.00 bridge projert.County Board-Petition No. 15=Arcola road district.Estimated cost is$768,920.00,with a local agency share of $58,860.00.If that’s the structure Nacke was talking about,that’s along way from shouldering the entire project.The reason I bring this up is the fact that things are not always as they seem.I hope Mr. Nacke did not mislead the people at the meeting that night just to make the Township look responsible with their finances,but after reading the paper the Township has no intention of paying for the whole project.I support the ECWD and their on going search for the facts,because as we just saw things are not always as they seem.

  • birds of a feather
    Posted at 17:42h, 30 January

    I heard several comments about the meeting Schoolboard attended,and Jim Crane was also there I believe.Now ,Jim Crane is the Douglas Co. Engineer,don’t you think he knew that the Township wouldn’t pay for the whole project?Seems odd that he didn’t say anything….birds of a feather stick together.Oh and several though it to be funny that Bill Coombe was the only one that appeared unable to understand that Mr.Foran was making the point that the Township had plenty of money,but he still had to ask what his point was.

  • offended
    Posted at 19:42h, 30 January

    At same meeting, Deana walked out in middle of Mr. Foran speaking and as she walked behind him, called him a “not so nice” name, which other people heard. That’s real professional!!!

  • Lake Lady
    Posted at 04:57h, 31 January

    What do you expect from someone that takes $45,000.00 of taxpayers money for less than 30 hrs.of work?And by the way she must be real mad now that she lost,I hear the Township Board past the TIF extension—-FINALLY!

  • Unhappy Taxpayer
    Posted at 12:16h, 01 February

    jmkraft,did you get your mail from Arcola and what did you think.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 12:33h, 01 February

      Yes. At least they gave me press coverage on the issue and let the public know it is not over by a long shot.

  • Moving On
    Posted at 16:52h, 01 February

    Now that Deana got her butt kicked and lost her fight to stop TIF,anybody have any ideas whose life she will try to make miserable?After all that’s what the Board pays her for right?

  • offended
    Posted at 12:37h, 02 February

    OMG Joey Hackler!!!! You are such a joke!!! Everyone, read his Facebook post!!

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 12:40h, 02 February

      Copy them and paste them in here please…

  • WARAW
    Posted at 16:42h, 02 February

    Joey Hackler You worked 2 years on the TIF issue after you were promoted on to the team that has been fighting TIF for five years. Conservative figure of revenues LOST by our Community because of all the townships control issues to get more money for their war chest. Somewhere between $15 TO $18 million dollars LOST . Now you are taking credit on saving the taxpayers money. Everyone is agreeing with offended. Have you checked the township budget and the dollars you are spending on attorneys secretaries comfort stations vacations. We certainly hope you are not studying to be a future politician. If you have this much arrogance to take credit for doing something good for the taxpayers when just the opposite that you cost the taxpayers millions. I hope you or anyone else on the township board do not have a big flock of sheep following you because that leadership quality has disappeared from the township board. Pathetic

  • Not a Marx Bro
    Posted at 17:48h, 02 February

    offened,what has the little Karl Marx,socialist done this time?

  • offended
    Posted at 21:31h, 02 February

    Would someone please copy and paste his facebook post for Mr. KRAFT. Someone else read it to me, so I don’t have it.

  • Richey Rich
    Posted at 10:12h, 06 March

    From what I see in the Arcola paper its back to square one. It looks like the Arcola Township is untouchable! I hope not.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 10:36h, 06 March

      It ain’t over by any means. Township is misinforming the public, but it will all come out in the end.

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