'It's A Big Victory For Both Juan And The Citizens Of Joliet': Attorney Frank Andreano

JOLIET, IL — Although Will County Chief Judge Dan Kennedy rejected a motion to disqualify Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow and his lawyers from handling their office's lawsuit against Joliet City Councilman Juan Moreno, Moreno and his lawyers Anna Rose Bertani and Frank Andreano walked out of Will County Judge Jennifer Lynch's eighth-floor courtroom with smiles on their faces late Friday morning.

"I think it's a big victory for both Juan and the citizens of the city of Joliet," a jubilant Andreano told Joliet Patch after Friday's courtroom proceedings ended. "He was duly elected, and it's just odd to me that sometime after he's elected and sometime after he's taken votes, that people have come up and tried to kick him off an office that the people elected him to and he's doing a good job.

"He's 30 years old, he's a young man that's looking forward to a bright political career. I think he has a bright political career, but obviously, there are people that don't want him to serve, don't want him to be a candidate and don't want him to be a candidate both presently and in the future. This did not fall from a tree by accident. People sat around a conference room and decided that they're going to pursue this action even though he was on the ballot, the voters decided who they wanted to serve, and they decided on Juan, and I think they made an excellent decision.

"And he's a young person who should be involved in public service, we want young people to be involved in public service, and I think that he's a young man with a bright future that Joliet's going to have for a very long time."

During Friday's court proceedings, on several occasions, Will County Circuit Judge Jennifer Lynch scolded Assistant State's Attorney Scott Pyles as the judge repeatedly told Pyles that she was not allowing him to start calling witnesses to testify.

Pyles spotted Moreno's fiancé, Jessica Sanchez, seated in the courtroom along with Lissette Aguilera, who had a lease agreement with Moreno back in 2024.

When Pyles alerted the judge that he wanted to call the women to the witness stand, Judge Lynch declared, "Mr. Pyles, that's not going to happen."

In recent weeks, Pyles filed his lawsuit on behalf of State's Attorney Glasgow suggesting that Moreno was improperly elected to the Joliet City Council on April 1. Pyles argues that at the time that Moreno filed his November 2024 candidacy, Moreno was residing at a house in Troy Township, a house that was not actually in the city of Joliet limits.

"Mr. Pyles, we're not getting to his defense. Mr. Pyles, it's not an evidentiary hearing," Judge Lynch raised her voice. "The State did not provide evidence to sustain a TRO (temporary restraining order.) I'm denying the TRO today."

Pyles argued that Moreno must be removed from office immediately, but Judge Lynch refused to do that. Lynch informed everyone that she will be gone from the bench for a portion of October as she recovers from an upcoming shoulder surgery that is already scheduled.

After reviewing all the lawyers' calendars, Judge Lynch scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Moreno's case on Nov. 13, and Nov. 14, if necessary. Lynch's ruling means that Moreno will remain on the Joliet City Council for at least several more meetings.

"I'm not happy with the whole thing that's going on, to me, it's a smear campaign," Moreno told Joliet Patch after Friday's hearing. "I don't know who's behind it or what's their motive. I got elected. I stand by my hard work in the campaign to work for the people of Joliet for everyone. So, this is where we're at today. I'll keep fighting for everyone."

Meanwhile, the Will County State's Attorney's Office did come out ahead in the first important decision of Friday morning as Chief Judge Kennedy took over Lynch's seat, and she sat next to him and watched the proceedings.

Kennedy announced that as chief judge, he felt it was his responsibility to hear the arguments on Anna Bertani's motion seeking a special prosecutor. She contended that Will County State's Attorney Glasgow had a direct conflict of interest in handling Moreno's case because Glasgow donated $1,000 to Moreno's opponent, Damon Zdunich, who lost and ended up in fourth place.

However, Judge Kennedy rejected Bertani's motion, informing her, Andreano and everyone in the courtroom that he always tells people how "Joliet is a big, small town" and he pointed out how all three of them have had three generations of family in the community.

Kennedy explained how there's no indication that Zdunich would even be picked to fill the City Council vacancy in the event of Moreno's removal from office.

"This connection is so remote it could not be an actual conflict. I don't see any conflict in this matter at all, so I'm going to deny this motion," Judge Kennedy declared.