This Sunday the News-Gazette has an investigative piece that shows how Champaign County States Attorney John Piland is wiling to overlook consistent embezzelling of money from the University of Illinois just to get his digs in against the U of I Police Dept:

A former University of Illinois parking division employee believed to have stolen in excess of $66,000 from the UI over a four-year period will not be criminally prosecuted.

The decision by Champaign County State's Attorney John Piland has UI administrators and police upset.

"We are frustrated. We are confused. We feel victimized twice – first by a criminal and by not having our case prosecuted," said Robin Kaler, spokeswoman for the UI.

"It's very frustrating that we can't seem to get the appropriate kind of cooperation out of the (state's attorney's) office," added UI Police Chief O.J. Clark. "It's very frustrating to the officers who are out there busting their tails trying to do the right thing."

Of course, this isn't the first time Piland has been willing to put aside a prosecution and the pursuit of justice in order to serve his own selfish ambitions and connections.

In Nov. 2003, Piland decided not to press criminal charges against University of Illinois basketball players who participated in a residential break-in and burglary. Piland said that it was because the victims didn't want to press charges, but it seems more like Piland was playing favorites. As States Attorney, it's Piland who makes the decisions about where to press charges, not the victims (who were probably pressured by Piland through tales of publicity and rabid Illini fans making them skapegoats) and not the criminals.

So, while an acknowleged and proven break-in is not a crime worth pressing charges, Piland believes that observing and videotaping Champaign police officers working in public in the process of public service is worthy of felony eavesdropping charges. This, despite the fact that his very own assistant States Attorney was seen in one of the videos herself videotaping Champaign police and the people they were pulling over and arresting. (And she never received permission from the people who were pulled over -- clearly she was "eavesdropping" on them).

It took a letter from none other than Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney and the Champaign City Manager to get Piland to drop charges against one of the men accused of eavesdropping.

Still, for no expressed reason, Piland did not drop charges eavesdropping against a second man, even though it was for the exact same incidents.

Differential treatment and "justice" is a way of life for John Piland, and will be a way of life for Champaign County as long as he is allowed to remain Champaign County States Attorney.

When even the conservative News-Gazette, the Champaign Police Chief and Champaign City Manager criticize the States Attorney for heavy-handed misappropriation of justice, you know the man has got to go.

Else, it may be you next, who gets pulled over and jailed on trumped-up charges. Or maybe YOUR home will be burglarized by someone with crony connections to Piland, and you'll be pressured not to press charges.

If you cast no other vote this November, make it a NO vote to John Piland.