April 26--A Hebron resident gasped in a McHenry County courtroom Tuesday after his town's beleaguered village president pleaded not guilty to drugs and weapons charges and requested a jury trial.
Village leader John Jacobson, 68, was arrested last month after authorities said they found cocaine and two crack pipes, a shotgun and ammunition inside his home.
He faces felony charges of possession of a firearm with a revoked firearm owner's identification card and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of ammunition and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jacobson left the courtroom without comment after Tuesday's brief hearing. Last week, he told a crowd of residents at a Village Board meeting that he would not resign "at the present time."
During Tuesday's hearing, Hebron resident John Santoro blurted out "unbelievable" after Jacobson entered his not-guilty plea. Santoro assisted in the circulation of two petitions in town -- one calling for Jacobson's resignation and one for an audit of village finances -- and was among dozens of residents who turned out for the board meeting last week when the petitions were submitted.
Jacobson told the crowd last week that the allegations did not involved "my capacity as a village official" but that he couldn't talk about them further, on the advice of his attorney. He asked for privacy "during this legal process."
Outside the courtroom Tuesday, Santoro said he attended the arraignment "to see that justice is served."
Police said they responded to Jacobson's home after a 911 call was made by a young woman saying Jacobson was having difficulty breathing. The woman told police that Jacobson had been "drinking alcohol and smoking crack cocaine throughout the night," according to a police report.
"He needs to step down. He needs to get help. ... We need to clean our slate," Santoro said Tuesday, calling the charges a "gray cloud" over Hebron.
Jacobson was elected in 2013 with fewer than 200 votes in the small town near the Wisconsin state line. At that time, he had a pending felony crack cocaine-related charge against him but later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, according to court records.
According to state law, Jacobson cannot be forced to leave office unless he's convicted of a felony. He also faces prison time if found guilty of the current felony charges he faces, McHenry County Judge Michael Feetterer said.
Jacobson's next court date is June 7.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
