(CHICAGO) The lawyer for Jason Van Dyke is asking that his client be excused from appearing at status hearings for his murder case due to the threats the Chicago Police officer receives when coming and going from the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.
Van Dyke, who is accused of shooting teenager Laquan McDonald sixteen times in 2014, previously had the car he was traveling in to court “smashed,” attorney Daniel Herbert said Wednesday after a brief status hearing before Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan.
Van Dyke’s father was also “physically battered” at the 26th and California, Herbert said.
There were no protesters or activists seen inside the courthouse, and Van Dyke, 37, was seen leaving without incident on Wednesday.
While Herbert said he didn’t see his client walk out, he reiterated that there has been “intense scrutiny and threats” every time Van Dyke enters and leaves the building.
“We’re still amazed at the appetite and the venom towards my client,” Herbert said.
“He remains public enemy No. 1.”
Herbert said he is perplexed at the “selective outrage” against Van Dyke. Politicians don’t appear to have the same rage for alleged cop killers and the accused gunman of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee, the defense attorney said.
“The violence toward my client is affecting him,” Herbert said.
Once, someone told Van Dyke that he would be killed and raped while behind bars, Herbert said.
Herbert earlier on Wednesday discussed his motion to waive Van Dyke’s appearance before Gaughan.
The judge briefly discussed petitions from civil rights attorneys and the Rev. Jesse Jackson that seek a special prosecutor to handle the Van Dyke case before going into chambers with the prosecutors and defense attorneys for an “informal case management conference.”
After roughly a half hour, the group came out, and Gaughan asked Assistant State’s Attorney Risa Lanier to describe what took place behind closed doors.
Lanier said prosecutors were made aware that Herbert received several discs tied to the case from federal officials.
Van Dyke is expected to come back to court on May 5.
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