The judge presiding over the case is Catherine Marie Haberkorn, who was first elected in 1994 and retained last year with support from 76.3 percent of voters. Haberkorn made headlines in 2016 when she threw out the drug conviction of a man who had spent a decade in jail based on new evidence, saying she was "sickened" by the "miscarriage of justice." According to Injustice Watch, last year the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Chicago Bar Association rated her as qualified, and the Illinois State Bar Association recommended her for retention, with the CBA stating “she is reported to be fair and patient on the bench.”
The alleged assaults took place on September 22, when the couple was biking northwest on Milwaukee Avenue near Augusta Boulevard in Noble Square. Prosecuters say Konecki, 30, and a companion rode up behind them on mini-motorcycles and Konecki groped the woman. The husband chased down the bikers and confronted them at Division street. As he turned to talk to Konecki's companion, Konecki allegedly punched him in the face while wearing gloves with reenforced knuckles, leaving him unconscious with a concussion, before fleeing the scene.
The female victim shared photos of the alleged attacker taken by bystanders on Facebook. Disclosure: Working with tips from a resident, I did some research on the case and shared information with the Chicago Police Department.
On November 14 police arrested Zonecki at his home in the Northwest Side Dunning neighborhood and charged him with two felony counts of aggravated assault.
At a hearing on November 17, Judge Michael Clancy set Konecki's bail at $5,000 and ordered him not to contact the victims, Rachel Franzin from the Sun-Times reported. According to his public defender, the motorcyclist was living with his father and working for a child-proofing company at the time. His next hearing was scheduled for November 20.
While Konecki had no prior convictions in Cook County, in 2008 he was arrested at his home in northwest-suburban Island Lake and charged with possession of 326 grams of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful use of brass knuckles, and filing a false police report, according to a Daily Herald report.
