St. Clair County Circuit Judge Andrew Gleeson on Feb. 19 approved a defense motion for judge reassignment in a civil lawsuit against former Madison County attorney Lowell Thomas Lakin.
The case will be sent to Chief Judge John Baricevic for reassignment.
Gleeson also granted a plaintiff’s motion to file a first amended complaint and continued hearing the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, pending reassignment.
The suit, originally filed under seal in Madison County, accuses Lakin of child sexual abuse. The accusations in the civil lawsuit launched an investigation which resulted in Lakin’s 2008 federal conviction on drug charges.
Plaintiff attorney Ed Unsell of East Alton, who was allowed to proceed with the civil suit after the state finished its case against Lakin in 2011, filed an amended complaint on Feb. 19.
According to the first amended complaint, Lakin was an adult friend of the families of the minors he is accused of abusing and had custody, control and dominion over them.
Plaintiff Mary Doe, mother of John and Joseph Doe, was an employee of Lakin and the now former Lakin Law Firm, the suit claims.
The lawsuit accuses Lakin of sexually abusing Mary Doe’s sons and harassing her daughter. He also is accused of filing harassing lawsuits against Mary Doe.
Mary Doe seeks more than $75,000 in damages.
Samantha Unsell of Keefe & Keefe also represents the plaintiff.
Lakin is represented by Clyde Kuehn of Belleville.
He is scheduled to be released from Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institution in Texas on Nov. 30.
St. Clair County case number 06-L-363
Lakin sexual abuse case ongoing in St. Clair County
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