State's Attorney requests special prosecutor; Jury overseer says she is not suspended

Madison County employee Linda Murray who oversees the jury commission said Tuesday that she can not comment on a criminal investigation involving her office.

Murray, who has not been on the job this week, indicated that she is not suspended from her position.

“There are a lot of rumors,” she said. “But I can’t talk.”

The Edwardsville Police Department is leading an investigation, however a police report has not yet been filed. Police Chief Jay Keeven could not say when a report would be available. He said that if and when charges are filed, the State’s Attorney's Office would field inquiries.

On July 30, State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons filed a motion for appointment of a special prosecutor based upon police reports of criminal misconduct of an unnamed individual.

“Due to this individual’s job duties, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office potentially has a conflict,” the motion states. “County employees may be witnesses in the case.”

Neither the Edwardsville Police Department nor State's Attorney's Office are confirming that the Jury Commission office is the target of the investigation. However, sources at the courthouse have confirmed that it is.

In a review of court records involving Murray, a judgment was entered in June by Associate Judge Duane Bailey over disputes with her Granite City neighbor Charles McCoy.

The order permanently enjoins each party “from threatening, intimidating, contacting or in any way interfering with the personal liberty or business endeavors of any kind in which any other party is engaged.”

Bailey’s June 11 order is dispositive of seven separate order of protection cases filed between 2011 and 2012.

One in particular was a petition for stalking no contact order McCoy filed against Murray on June 2, 2012. In it, McCoy states that he had asked the “Trial Court Administrator to investigate Linda Murray initiating my daughter Chelsea McCoy, wife Mary McCoy, friend Barbara Whitehead to serve Jury Duty.

“Mrs. Murray is the Jury Commissioner and I believe if Jurors are selected at random it is highly unlikely for 3 people that live on the same street not to mention the same household to be selected if the system is set up for random selection. This is only after a verbal disagreement with Mrs. Murray.”

Edwardsville attorney Anthony Dos Santos represented Murray in the orders of protection cases.

He has been contacted for comment, but had not returned a phone call by press time.