Patrick O'Shea Continues Campaign after Son's Cocaine Arrest
O'Shea releases a statement saying his family is "deeply saddened" by the arrest.
Patrick O'Shea's campaign organizers are hoping voters will stay focused on his race for Circuit Court Judge rather than the recent news of his son's drug arrest.
On Thursday, March 1, around 9:30 p.m., 18-year-old Collin O'Shea was arrested in Lombard for allegedly selling narcotics to another individual, according to Paul Darrah, DuPage County State's Attorney communications manager. Campaign Coordinator and Addison Township Republican Chairman Patrick Durante said O'Shea "is going to continue on with his campaign." Durante would not comment further on the "personal" matter but said he hopes it will not affect the campaign.
Patrick O'Shea has served as a DuPage County Board member for more than 20 years. He is now seeking the office of Circuit Court judge in DuPage County and is endorsed by DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, among others, who were not available for comment on the recent news.
According to the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, Collin was released from jail after posting 10 percent of the $75,000 bond Monday morning. As of Tuesday evening, records show a public defender as Collin's attorney of record.
In a statement to the press, his father said he and family members were deeply saddened by his son's arrest.
"My son's contact with the legal system will undoubtedly change his life and our lives forever. Now, I will have to do the hardest thing I've ever done—I will have to tell my young daughter about her brother," Patrick O'Shea said.
Collin O'Shea has no prior criminal history in DuPage County and faces one count of manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine), a Class 1 Felony that is non-probational, according to Darrah, which means he could face four to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for allegedly selling more than 1 but less than 15 grams of cocaine.
Arrest information was provided by the DuPage County Sheriff's Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Jim Court
8:10 pm on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
This makes me want to vote for Mr. O'Shea
He will soon learn about the insanity of our war on drugs and the draconian measures taken against those such as his son. This will personalize the issue and will not be some abstract and detached process. A real person, from a good family caught up in the legal system. Prohibition is insane and the focus on certain drugs with the exclusion of others is inconsistent and wrong. Only education and treatment will work along with social pressure. These laws are driven by the narrow interest of the legal system, plain and simple.It creates huge violence and massive crime. When will we ever learn !
Kathleen Kane
2:56 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The issue should have been "personalized" years ago, when his daughter's long time battle with drugs came into the public eye, or did everyone forget about that?
Marty Samartano
9:00 am on Thursday, March 8, 2012
ELMHURST, IL —
The daughter of a DuPage County Board member and her husband are being held on $2 million bond, at the DuPage County Jail in Wheaton, following a reported armed robbery two weeks ago in Lombard.
Police in surrounding communities such as Elmhurst also are investigating to see if Adam Waters, 27, and his 27-year-old wife Erin, both of 230 S. Villa Ave., Unit 1C, could also be responsible for robberies in their areas. Erin is the daughter of County Board member Patrick O’Shea, R-District 2, of Lombard.
The couple reportedly robbed a 7-Eleven at about 11:10 p.m. Feb. 26, said Lombard Deputy Police Chief Dane Cuny, with Adam walking into the store and flashing a gun handle to the clerk and Erin driving the getaway car.
Marty Samartano
9:00 am on Thursday, March 8, 2012
This took place back in 2007
Bob Santini
9:03 am on Thursday, March 8, 2012
well said mr Court. as a society, we still have never learned the lesson that Prohibition should have taught us.
David A Miller Sr
8:34 pm on Thursday, March 8, 2012
Public Defender for Collin? I thought that was only for the poor people? Is this where my tax dollars are going or am I wrong?
Stewart Levine
4:31 am on Friday, March 9, 2012
innocent until proven guilty i say, we have too much of this guilty until proven innocent stuff. perhaps this kid was setup so this guy doesn't get elected???
Ricky W Kracker a.k.a. Diggy Swagga
9:16 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2012
I doubt Mr. Collin O'Shea was setup here, should the allegations merit truth... Though timing of the arrest after a "month long" investigation, would lead a reasonable person to question that the timing of the arrest was made to disrupt the election campaign of the young man's father.
Dave
4:11 am on Sunday, March 11, 2012
Am I missing something? He was charged with selling drugs! A drug dealer! So he is not a simple user! And the daughter was charged and convicted of armed robbery! This guy can even raise his kids right and obviously made poor decisions raising his own family and we should vote for him to be a judge??? To exercise good judgement?
Marty Samartano
6:56 am on Sunday, March 11, 2012
Well said Dave
sneakie beak
11:46 am on Monday, March 12, 2012
Pat O'shea is a very poor representation of a human being, let alone someone in and running for office. He treats people with no respect , , hearing the vulgarity shooting out of his mouth when someone questions him.(heaven forbid ,question the almighty O'shea) He is nothing but a vulgar,vile bully.If you notice, the other candidates were backed by their peers.......not him !!! he barely squeaked-- that speaks volumes!!!!
Kurt Dorr
12:47 pm on Monday, March 12, 2012
Pat O'Shea should never be on the bench. He has continually lied about his qualifications. He is not a patent attorney, he has never argued a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court (as he claims in public on multiple occasions, and he never graduated from law school with honors or any other distinction. See the link below. It lays out the lies that Pat O'Shea has been spreading for weeks.
Pat O'Shea is the worst kind of politician there is. He simply wants to be a Judge to feather his pension nest. If elected his salary will jump from around 55-60k annually to around 180-185k. He can then retire on 85% of his highest salary!!! That really really irritates me how public officials stack the deck like this against tax payers.
http://naperville.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-o-shea-s-background-experience-disputed
Sean Johnders
2:01 pm on Monday, March 12, 2012
Congratulations to Judge Brian McKillip as he ranks #1 in The Illinois State Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association poll of lawyers practicing in DuPage and running for circuit court judge.
http://www.isba.org/sites/default/files/judicialevaluations/outsidecook/18circuit.pdf
Kathleen Kane
2:55 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
One child arrested on serious drug charges is one thing, but two?
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/villapark/news/x126274939
Shame on Pat O'Shea. I will be voting for Brian McKillip.
John Iwaszkiewicz
4:54 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
It is shameful thing that the public is so foolish to believe that the misfortunes of an 18 year old can somehow be twisted into a judgement of the parents. I know plenty of good parents who did everything right, and weren't able to keep their kids out of trouble.
I applaud the comments linking references to the actual background of the candidate, so we can use real information about the man to make a voting judgement.