Cahokia rejects woman's claim city is at fault for son's murder

The Village of Cahokia filed a motion to stay discovery in a lawsuit filed against it by the mother of a recently deceased man.

Carolyn Kidd filed suit against the Village of Cahokia, which housed her son in jail. She alleges city workers failed to help her son while he was being strangled to death by a fellow inmate, according to the original complaint.

Cahokia moved to stay discovery Oct. 22.

The village argues that it has absolute immunity pursuant to the Tort Immunity Act.

The Village claims it did not owe the plaintiff any duty to prevent his murder, and the alleged actions and omissions of the Village and its employees were not the proximate cause of Mr. Johnson’s death, according to the motion.

Kidd claims her son, Timothy Johnson, who was born with cerebral palsy and required crutches to walk, was arrested and placed into a jail cell at the Village of Cahokia’s police department, May 13.  A July 25 complaint filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court stated he was beaten and strangled to death.

She blames the Village of Cahokia for contributing to her son’s death, saying it negligently placed him in a cell with a person charged with murder who was known to be mentally unstable.

She is represented by Michael Glisson of Alton.

Carmen S. Durso of The Law Offices of Carmen Durso in Belleville and George J. Casson of O’Halloran Kosoff Geitner & Cook in Northbrook, Ill. represent the defense.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-380.