What was Carrie Boyd thinking?
When she filed trumped-up charges against Pike County Sheriff Paul Petty, did she really think they would stick? Did she really think no one would question her motives or wonder who had put her up to it? Did she really think there are no consequences for such egregious misuse of prosecutorial powers?
Did she really think she would get away with it?
Even in Illinois, Boyd’s bravado set a new benchmark for audacity and stupidity.
While serving as state’s attorney for Pike County, a position she has since resigned, Boyd was tapped by Gov. Pat Quinn to represent state’s attorneys of every county in the state (save Cook) on the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. It was a surprise appointment, given that Boyd was the least experienced state’s attorney in Illinois at the time, having held her position for only three months.
Her sole distinction, apparently – the one thing recommending her to Gov. Quinn for the prestigious appointment – was her refusal to investigate the drug-related death of St. Clair County Judge Joe Christ.
Sheriff Petty did look into the suspicious circumstances surrounding that death. He succeeded in getting a confession (regarding illicit drug use) from Christ’s friend and fellow St. Clair County judge Michael Cook, now serving a two-year prison term.
Petty’s dedication to duty was rewarded with censure from the woman who neglected hers.
On May 16, Boyd charged Petty with felony misconduct in a matter unrelated to the Christ case. She resigned her position as state’s attorney two weeks later.
Petty was exonerated last week when Adams County Associate Judge Chet Vahle dismissed the charge, noting that a special prosecutor found “no proper basis in fact or in law for the prosecution of the charge to go forward.”
Petty committed no felony misconduct, but what about Boyd? She deserves a day in court?