Top Foxx Deputy Resigns After Botched Toledo Bond Hearing

ILLINOIS — First Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Coleman announced she is resigning after an investigation into a statement made by a prosecutor during a bond hearing that gave the impression 13-year-old Adam Toledo was holding a gun when a Chicago police officer shot him. He was not.

In a proffer read by prosecutor James Murphy during the bond hearing for Ruben Roman, the man who was arrested at the scene of Adam's shooting, Murphy gave an overview of the officer's involvement leading up to him firing his weapon.

"The officer tells [Adam] to drop it as [Adam] turns towards the officer. [Adam] has a gun in his right hand," Murphy read about the March 29 incident. "The officer fires one shot at [Adam], striking him in the chest. The gun that [Adam] was holding landed against the fence a few feet away."

Murphy's portrayal of the events was viewed by some as a way to sway public opinion before the video of Adam's shooting was released. In the footage released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the 13-year-old can be seen with his hands up and empty moments before he was shot. Additional footage revealed Adam tossed the gun he was holding a second before.

The State's Attorney's office only acknowledged the implication a few hours before COPA released the video. Spokesperson Sarah Sinovic told media outlets Murphy "failed to fully inform himself before speaking in court."

Sinovic's statement led many to call for Murphy's resignation and prompted the internal review of the prosecutor's intent behind what was said in the proffer.

The office announced on Wednesday that the statement was a result of "a breakdown of communication in how information was shared, which ultimately did not get elevated to State's Attorney Foxx before ... the bond court hearing."

The conclusion of the investigation went on to say that Murphy "did not intend to give the impression that Adam Toledo was holding a gun when shot. The investigation revealed that the language the attorney used in court was inartful, leaving an unintended impression."

Initiatives to prevent similar issues in the future will require attorneys to go through additional training about presenting facts in court and new procedures to ensure checks and balances work as intended, the report said. It is unclear what policies and procedures will be implemented.

Murphy will return to his previous assignment, ending the paid leave he was placed on in early April.

Foxx told the Chicago Sun-Times that morale was low among rank-and-file prosecutors who worried Murphy was being treated as a "sacrificial lamb."

"This is about making sure that we get it right, and when we don't get it right, owning it and what we need to do to make sure that it doesn't happen again," Foxx told the Sun-Times.

Coleman's resignation was announced to staff on Wednesday. Coleman leaves after 25 years with the State's Attorney's office.