McCann drops second public defender in federal trial

SPRINGFIELD — The trial of former state senator and one-time gubernatorial candidate William “Sam” McCann will not occur until next year.

According to our media partners at WLDS, McCann appeared in federal court Monday morning before Judge Colleen Lawless to set a trial date. McCann faces nine federal counts that include money laundering, tax evasion, and fraud.

McCann filed a motion to terminate his latest public defender, according to Capitol News Illinois reporter Hannah Meisel, intending to represent himself in his case. This marks the second public defender that McCann has ditched since ditching his first legal representative in January.

Meisel also reports that Judge Lawless was visibly annoyed by the motions. However, she granted both requests to delay the trial.

McCann told reporters in a post-hearing interview that by proceeding pro se, he was the only person who could take his defense seriously.

With the delay, McCann’s trial will not begin until Monday, Feb. 5, concluding on Friday, Feb. 9.

A more in-depth report of this story is available from Capitol News Illinois here.

For more local news, follow Jake Leonard on Twitter @JakeLeonardJRN, Ben Cox on Twitter @Cox4Liberty, and Heartland Newsfeed @HLNF_Bulletin on Twitter.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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