The plea came as a bench trial was set to begin on nine drug charges against the 51-year-old attorney related to a 2013 police investigation into cocaine sales in Central Illinois.
The plea deal
that resulted in dismissal of the other eight counts was reached after a
meeting Tuesday between Junkert, her attorneys and two lawyers with the
Illinois Attorney General's Office. Junkert pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance near a school.
In
a statement given to Judge Dan Flannel by Assistant Attorney General
John Kezdy to support the drug trafficking charge, Junkert was accused
of going to the home of Mary Smith to obtain cocaine for herself and
another woman. The location of the drug transaction was less than 100
feet from a Clinton elementary school, Kezdy noted.
Junkert
faces a sentence ranging from probation to seven years in prison when
she is sentenced Nov. 20. No sentence is specified under the plea deal.
In
comments to Junkert, the judge explained the potential penalties for
the offense and asked several times if she understood the terms of her
plea. Junkert affirmed that she understood the consequences of her
admission to a drug crime.
Kezdy asked the judge to
inform Junkert that she also faces potential discipline from the
Illinois Attorney Registration Disciplinary Commission, including loss
of her law license.
Defense lawyer James Brinkoetter
responded that Junkert "is fully aware of her responsibility to report
this conviction to the ARDC."
Earlier this year, Junkert was suspended from practicing law for one year by the ARDC for mishandling client funds.
The
commission said Junkert, who was licensed to practice law in Illinois
in 1998, failed to deposit client funds into a trust account to cover
anticipated legal expenses. The lawyer also failed to prepare and
maintain ledgers and other records related to client funds, the ARDC
said.
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2 comments:
When a lawyer engages in criminal activity the punishment should be harsher.
But then how many of the legislators are lawyers?
I wonder how many lawyers are druggies. I would venture to guess it's pretty prevalent.
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