CIAM executive seeks change of judge in arena theft case

Posted on March 22, 2018

*Central Illinois Arena Management President John Butler during his initial court appearance. (Pool photo)*

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – Lawyers in the case of former downtown arena executives charged with defrauding Bloomington taxpayers of $1.1 million have yet to settle on a judge to preside over the trials.

The attorney for Central Illinois Arena Management President John Butler is asking that a pair of Woodford County judges, Michael Stroh and Charles Feeney, should not hear the case.

The chief judge assigned the case to Stroh after Judge Robert Freitag announced his retirement.

Freitag took over prior to his retirement announcement when prosecutors in November moved for Judge Scott Drazewski’s removal.

Butler is one of five managers of the former U.S. Cellular Coliseum indicted last fall on a total 111 criminal charges including theft of government funds, money laundering, tax evasion, and conspiracy to commit tax evasion.

Butler faces 44 counts in all.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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