A judge in Kankakee County has ruled that evidence of Dee Ann Schippert’s gambling activities can be presented to the jury. Schippert, former head of the Iroquois County Public Health Department, is facing over 30 felony charges related to allegations of misusing public funds.
Judge William Dickenson denied a request by Schippert’s attorneys to exclude gambling-related evidence from the trial. The defense argued that it was irrelevant to the main charges, but the court found it crucial to the prosecution’s case, as reported by The Ford County Chronicle.
Prosecutors from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office allege that Schippert, 57, obtained over $100,000 between May 2020 and July 2022 by falsifying timesheets, claiming unapproved overtime, and securing unauthorized back pay. She is facing a total of 33 felony charges, including theft of government funds, forgery, and official misconduct.
The prosecution’s case claims that Schippert frequently gambled at a local venue during work hours while claiming to be working. Investigators have evidence of her spending approximately 759 hours at Winnie’s Gaming Café in Watseka during the relevant period, averaging 38 hours per month. The trial will include time-stamped video footage, phone and office communication records, and computer login data as evidence. Witnesses are expected to testify about seeing her at the gaming location during work hours.
The judge has allowed the gambling evidence but agreed to the defense’s request to exclude discussions about Schippert’s personal views on LGBTQIA+ issues during the trial. Both parties must seek approval before addressing such topics during witness questioning.
Schippert remains free under pre-trial conditions and continues to proclaim her innocence. A hearing is set for August 20 to reconsider the admissibility of the gambling evidence, with no trial date yet established.
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- Source: SCCGManagement.com