SHEP?
>> Shepard: MATT FINN ON SCENE.
NOW BOB BIANCHI IS HERE.
>> SHEP, I HAVE A QUESTION.
WHY NOT GIVE THE GUY A KISS?
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.
IT'S A DISGRACE TO THOSE TRULY
VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES, TO THE
POLICE THAT WENT THROUGH THIS.
TO A PROSECUTOR THAT ACCEPTED
THAT HE COMMITTED THESE CRIMES,
TO THE GRAND JURY THAT INDICTED
HIM.
AND THERE ARE DEFENDANTS THAT WE
HAVE -- THAT I REPRESENT RIGHT
NOW THAT HAVE DONE FAR, FAR LESS
AND THEY WOULDN'T GET THIS
TREATMENT.
IT'S A WHITE WASH AND THEN SEAL
THE RECORDS?
HE GETS TO GO OUT AND SAY I'M
INNOCENT?
THE MAYOR HAS BEEN THROWN UNDER
THE BUS, THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS
UNDER THE BUS AND THE CHICAGO
PLUS DEPARTMENT IS.
THIS IS WHAT REALLY GOT ME.
LET'S LISTEN TO WHAT THE
PROSECUTOR SAID.
THERE'S ONE VALID REASON TO
REVERSE A GRAND JURY
INVESTIGATION AND THAT IS NEWLY
DISCOVERED EVIDENCE.
HERE'S THE ANSWER TO THE
PROSECUTOR GAVE FOR MAKING THIS
UNBELIEVABLY DISGRACEFUL
DECISION.
AFTER REVIEWING THE FACTS AND
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE --
YIKES!
YOU'D THINK YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU
PRESENT IT TO THE GRAND JURY.
IN AGREEMENT TO FORFEIT HIS
BOND, WHICH IS $10,000, WHICH IS
NOTHING, WE BELIEVE THE OUTCOME
IS JUST AND THE DISPOSITION OF
APPROPRIATE RESOLUTION OF THIS
CASE.
IT'S OUTRAGEOUS.
>> Shepard: THE PROSECUTORS MAKE
A DECISION NOT TO PROSECUTE.
AND THEN THE MAYOR AND THE
POLICE CHIEF COME OUT AND SAY
THERE'S A DEAL THAT'S BEEN
BROKERED BEHIND WHICH HE'S
HIDING, BUT BY DEFINITION,
THERE'S NO DEAL.
CHARGES ARE DISMISSED.
EVERYTHING IS DROPPED AND
EVERYTHING IS SEALED?
>> RIGHT.
>> Shepard: WILL WE NEVER KNOW?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO?
IF I WERE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,
I'D SAY I WANT TO SUE HIM
CIVILLY AND BRING HIM TO THE
COURT FOR THE TENS PERHAPS
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POLICE
RESOURCES THAT COULD HAVE WENT
TO REAL CRIME THAT WERE WASTED
ON THIS INVESTIGATION.
>> Shepard: DIDN'T THE
PROSECUTOR SAY HE DIDN'T FAKE
THIS?
>> THEY DIDN'T SAY HE DIDN'T DO
IT.
THEY FELT IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE
DISPOSITION.
YOU CAN'T TAKE THE BOND MONEY
FOR KNOW REASON.
>> Shepard: WHAT THEY DID WAS,
HE DID NICE COMMUNITY SERVICE
AND GAVE US $10,000.
SO WE'RE DISMISSING THE CHARGES.
>> EXACTLY.
WHAT THEY DIDN'T SAY IS HE
DIDN'T DO THIS.
YOU CAN'T TAKE HIS $10,000 FOR
NO REASON.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT BECAUSE
THERE'S AN ADMISSION.
IF YOU GIVE THIS AS A PENALTY.
SO THE PROSECUTOR IS SAYING THAT
IS PUNISHMENT ENOUGH.
HE DIDN'T SAY HE DIDN'T DO IT.
IF I WERE THE CHICAGO POLICE
DEPARTMENT, I WOULD BRING A
CIVIL SUIT TO GET HIM ON THE
RECORD.
>> Shepard: THERE'S GOT TO BE
SOMETHING WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DO KNOW THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
RECUSED HERSELF IN THE EARLY
GOING.
HE SAID THAT THE FAMILY WAS
UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY IT WAS
BEING HANDLED, THAT SHE RECEIVED
COMMUNICATION FROM THE FORMER
CHIEF OF STAFF FROM THE FORMER
FIRST LADY.
WE DON'T KNOW IF SHE WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS IN ANY WAY.
>> PEOPLE ARGUE ABOUT THE
DIFFERENCES AND DISPARITIES OF
RACE, INCARCERATION, I SAY IT'S
ABOUT GREEN, POWER, INFLUENCE
MAKING THESE DECISIONS.
THERE'S MANY POOR MINORITIES
THAT HAVE MARIJUANA RECORDS THAT
GO TO JAIL.
WHAT HE DID HERE IS PUT A HOAX
THAT PUT POLICE IN DANGER, THE
COMMUNITY IN DANGER, THE
MINORITY COMMUNITY WAS VERY
UPSET ABOUT THIS.
UNDERSTANDABLY SO.
RATCHETED UP RACIAL TENSION.
A CONSPIRACY WITH MULTIPLE
INDIVIDUALS TO FOOL THE PUBLIC
AND THE POLICE AND LIED TO
POLICE.
THAT GUY GETS OFF WITH THIS?
GETS THIS KISS?
IT'S A DISGRACE.
IN FACT, AS A PROSECUTOR, THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT ISN'T EVEN
APPRIZED OF THIS PRIOR TO THE
DECISION BEING MADE AND THEY
FIND OUT ABOUT IT ON THE MEDIA?
THAT'S NOT HOW POLICE AND
PROSECUTORS OPERATE.
>> Shepard: THE MAYOR STANDS UP
AND CALLS IT A SHAM.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THIS?
>> I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THIS.
USUALLY PEOPLE HOLD THEIR NOSE
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE A
PROSECUTORIAL DECISION BASED ON
EVIDENCE.
THAT'S WHY I WANT TO SEE WHAT
THIS STATEMENT SAID ABOUT THIS.
THIS WAS NOTHING.
IT WAS JUST A WHITEWASH,
POLITICAL INFLUENCE USED IN
ORDER TO GET HIM OUT FROM UNDER.
ALL THE MINORITIES IN CHICAGO
FOR BEING CONVICTED FOR THINGS
LESS THAN THIS, I'D LIKE TO SEE
WHAT THEIR DEFENSE ATTORNEY ARE
GOING TO DO WHEN THEY GO TO THE
PROSECUTOR AND SAY HOW ABOUT MY
GUY?
>> Shepard: IT'S MY EXPERIENCE
THAT PROSECUTORS AND
INVESTIGATORS MEANING THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT WORK HAND AND HAND ON
MATTERS LIKE THIS.
WHEN A BIG DECISION LIKE THIS
HAS TO BE MADE AND IT WILL FACE
A LOT OF PUBLIC SCRUTINY, THEY
GET TOGETHER AND DISCUSS A
STRATEGY FOR HOW TO PRESENT IT
ALL.
INSTEAD, THEY STOOD UP, ONE SIDE
SAID ONE THING AND THE OTHER
SIDE CALLED HIM HORRIBLE.
>> I RAN AN AGENCY.
SOMETIMES I HAD TO MAKE
DECISIONS THAT THE POLICE WERE
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH.
I BROUGHT THEM IN THE OFFICE,
EXPLAINED MY REASONS FOR THOSE
DECISIONS.
THEY MAY HOLD THEIR NOSE BUT
OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IT WAS BASED ON THE FACTS
AND THE LAW.
THE FACT THAT THEY NEVER
COMMUNICATED TO THIS AND THE
POLICE AND THE MAYOR BLIND-SIDED
WHEN THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THIS
EMERGENCY HEARING THAT HAPPENED
SO QUICKLY WITH THIS KISS OF AN
AGREEMENT --
>> Shepard: AND THEY CALL ALL
THE REPORTERS THIS MORNING.
YOU HAVE TO COME.
HAVE TO COME DOWN HERE.
A NEWS CONFERENCE.
>> THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.
THERE'S SOMETHING NOT CORRECT
WITH WHAT WENT ON HERE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THIS WHERE YOU HAVE A MAYOR AND
POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE NOT
AT ODDS WITH THE PROSECUTOR'S
OFFICE WHERE THEY WORK WITH THEM
DAY IN AND DAY OUT ABOUT WHAT
THEY BELIEVE -- THEY FEEL LIKE
THEY GOT THROWN UNDER THE BUS.
EVERYBODY IS SAYING, THE POLICE
INVESTIGATED THEM.
IT WAS A SHAM.
HOW CAN YOU AS A PROSECUTOR --
I'VE INDICTED CASES IN THE GRAND
JURY.
THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY MAKE
A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT
THERE'S AN INDICTMENT.
23 FOLKS SAID THERE WAS ENOUGH
EVIDENCE TO MOVE THIS CASE
FORWARD TO TRIAL AND THE
PROSECUTOR UNILATERALLY DECIDES
TO GIVE IT AWAY?
IT'S NOT RIGHT.
>> Shepard: BOB BIANCHI.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY MORE