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Judge: Cop’s lawyers can’t access teen’s juvenile records
Original Publication Date: August 10, 2016 6:48AM
Publication Updated: April 27, 2025 9:28PM
CHICAGO – Lawyers for a white Chicago police officer charged in the 2014 shooting death of an unarmed black 17-year-old won’t have access to his juvenile records.
Cook County Juvenile Court Judge Patricia Martin ruled Wednesday that Officer Jason Van Dyke has no legal right to the confidential files simply because he’s charged with murder in Laquan McDonald’s death. Defence attorney Daniel Herbert said he needed them to prepare for trial.
The juvenile records, usually confidential, were made public after dash cam video of McDonald’s death was released. The records showed McDonald suffered abuse and neglect when he was a toddler, that he was in and out of foster care, and that he had a history of drug and petty crime arrests.
Van Dyke has been suspended without pay since being charged.
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