Joliet Lawyer Ticketed For Allegedly Leaving Scene of Accident

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet lawyer was charged with taking off after crashing her truck into the back of another vehicle.

Elizabeth Johnson, 33, was cited for allegedly failing to provide proper information following an accident, failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and driving with an expired registration.

The other driver, 41-year-old Dawn Brunker, picked Johnson picture out of a photo lineup Wednesday morning, said Deputy Police Chief Ed Gregory. Johnson showed up to the police station later in the day, he said, met with a detective and was issued the citations.

Brunker had her own photo of Johnson — she said she snapped it after the local lawyer refused to provide any information following the fender bender and then boasted about being an attorney.

“She knew the law and she was a lawyer and didn't need to give me her insurance info or name,” Brunker said.

Johnson ran her Ford F-450 into the back of Brunker’s Chrysler Town & Country at the intersection of Von Esch and Caton Farm roads Monday afternoon, police said. Brunker was reportedly stopped at a stop sign when Johnson hit her.

A day before the photo lineup, Brunker had already identified Johnson to Patch. She was shown a photo of Johnson from a July 2011 press release sent out by the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office and said she believed it was the hit-and-run driver.

Johnson left the state's attorney's office in September 2011.

Johnson was the poster child for the state’s attorney’s special drug court when she was hired as a prosecutor after completing the program.

“Life was spinning out of control. And she knew a felony conviction would prevent her from attending law school and becoming a lawyer. It had been her dream career since she was a girl and she would dress up with an old briefcase while pretending to be in court,” the state’s attorney’s office said in a 2011 press release.

“In the ultimate validation for the program, State’s Attorney (James) Glasgow, the same prosecutor whose office filed the felony charge against her when she was a teenager, recently welcomed her back to his office, this time as a new assistant state’s attorney in his misdemeanor division,” the press release said.

Johnson ran for Grundy County State’s Attorney but was defeated in the March primary.

Johnson is the attorney for 34-year-old Michael Haldorson, who faces federal drug and weapon charges. Haldorson was caught with cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and pipe bombs while on his way to a drug deal, a federal agent said, and he had a pistol stashed in a storage locker.

Johnson failed to return calls for comment.