Months of wrangling in court appeared to have concluded on Oct. 3 when a judge ordered a revote on the termination of Caseyville police chief Jose Alvarez, but the saga continues, as the Village has no plan to honor the order.

Caseyville Village Hall / Photo by Roger Starkey

Village Trustee Brenda Williams, chairperson of the police and fire commission for the Board of Trustees, wanted to comply with the order as soon as possible, she said, but Village Attorney Brian Manion told the Board that he had questions about the order. Manion told the Board that he was seeking clarification from Stephen McGlynn, the judge who ordered the re-vote, Williams said.

Reached Thursday, Manion declined to confirm that he had questions about McGlynn’s order and offered only an “I’m not going to be able to comment” when asked if he was seeking clarification from the judge. Manion’s firm, the Weilmuenster Law Group, P.C., was appointed by Leonard Black, and ratified by the Board, to be the new Village Attorney’s on Aug. 21. Black attempted to hire the firm one month earlier, but the Board declined to vote on the motion.

Because the Village has deferred action on the order to allow a hearing and a re-vote, Alvarez’s attorney Bob Jones has filed a motion to force the village to comply. The hearing, tentatively scheduled for Nor. 3, will take place before McGlynn, again.

If Jones has his way, his client will receive a hearing and vote from the Board within seven days of McGlynn hearing his motion to compel. The next hearing date on the issue is schedule for Nov. 3, one month after McGlynn ordered a hearing and re-vote.