Defense: Throw Out Arrest of Drifter Accused in Sex Assault
A public defender for Dennis Dodson, the drifter accused of sexually assaulting a then-83-year-old woman at a Home Depot near Oak Forest, is filing a motion to quash the arrest based on the identification of Dodson in a photo array.
A public defender for a homeless man accused of sexually assaulting an elderly woman is questioning the photo identification of her client and announced Thursday that she is filing a motion to get his arrest thrown out.
Dennis Dodson, 36, is currently in Cook County jail and appeared in Judge John J. Hynes' Bridgeview courtroom in his customary khaki Department of Corrections uniform and ponytail.
Prosecutors say on Sept. 26, 2011, Dodson wrestled an elderly woman to the ground, and sexually assaulted her behind the Home Depot at 159th Street and Harlem Avenue near Oak Forest, where he was living at the time. She had offered Dodson food and crackers two days prior, and returned to tell him she was working to find him a shelter, according to reports.
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Assistant Public Defender Camille Bachli asked prosecutor Clarissa Palermo for information Thursday about how police obtained Dodson's photo for an array presented to the alleged victim for identification.
Bachli said she wants to determine if it was actually Dodson's picture included in the array.
Palermo responded that the photo used is Dodson's booking photo from another state. Dodson's rap sheet includes 60 arrests in 15 states, according to past reports.
However, Palermo indicated that she doesn't know if and what kind of information investigators would have to prove that information.
"I'm not sure he'll be able to come up with anything," Palermo told the judge.
"It's all to the state's benefit (if there is such information)," Hynes responded. "If there's a question of the ID of the person in the photo. I haven't seen it...but if there's a question on that, maybe you can track that down."
Palermo said she will object if Dodson's attorney subpoenas the now 84-year-old alleged victim as part of the motion.
Hynes said both sides are welcome to present case law for him to consider regarding whether the woman should be summoned.
Dodson is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 21.
—by Bridgette Outten
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Jennifer D.
11:25 am on Monday, January 21, 2013
There should be a law that requires you to rot in jail for the rest of your life after 10 arrests. But really 60?? This guy is scum of the earth and should never see the day of light again. To sexually assault anyone is disgusting but to do that to in 83 year old woman is a heinous despicable crime. It is ludicrous that we are wasting money allowing this man a fair trial. He shouldn't even be allowed on the streets in the first place. The only defense he should get is to make sure he is a 5 by 5 foot prison cell for the rest of his life.
O.F.D.
12:50 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
Agreed, AND she was going out of her way trying to help him. Scumbag...
Darnell
7:17 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Hey,,if the guy was mentally deranged as one would assume he is, for who in their right mind would assault an 83 year old woman, he could be declared mentally ill an put in a state mental facility, Oh wait,,,,silly me there are none. They closed the majority of them and let all the mentally ill people loose! BUT WAIT,,he will go to jail and be incarcerated for a long time. OH WAIT,,,silly me! Gov. Doofus and King Madigan are letting all the bad guys out early again. What the hell am I thinking!
Put the needle in his arm! He will surface again in time. Why should Joe the taxpayer fund temp. housing only to have this scumbag released early to commit crime #62!!
Mike F.
6:52 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
That's it Darnell, keep drinking the teabaggers' Kool-Aid.
Darnell
3:48 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
60 +1 arrests, 60 releases. He is ONE of countless here and nationwide. And then people have the audacity to stand on their soapboxes and preach to me and others that we have no right to own firearms to protect ourselves! Those same politicians are the ones who are creating this mess with the closing the mental institutions, prisons and early release programs! Ridiculous!!!
Darnell
10:54 am on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
@ Mike F. : Do you wish to @ dispute the fact Quinn has closed mental institutions, not manned Thomson prison which remains vacant and just announced a new early release program where inmates only have to serve 60 days of their sentence and be good little crooks to be released? After he cancelled the last early release program because a early releasee violently attacked a woman. Would you like to dispute the fact that a majority of crime and violent crime is committed by repeat offenders who have LONG histories of violence, arrests and incarcerations? (I'll search the %'tage if you like) Do you remember The murder of Indain Head Park Teen Kelli O' Laughlin? Here, read up! http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/11/04/teen%E2%80%99s-alleged-killer-a-history-of-incarceration-aliases/ You keep drinking whatever it is YOU drink that makes you so ignorant to reality and naive!