Joliet Outlaws Murder Defendant Won't Go Home After All: New Judge

JOLIET — Monday afternoon marked one of the most important rulings in the ongoing murder case against Jeremy Boshears. The former Joliet Outlaws motorcycle club member learned whether the new judge assigned to his case would grant Boshears pretrial release under the SAFE-T-Act.

Back in January, Will County Judge Dave Carlson overturned the May 2022 first-degree murder conviction and concealment of a homicide conviction for Boshears in the November 2017 death of Katie Kearns, the part-time bartender at Woody's Bar on Joliet's Washington Street.

Before Carlson left the bench, he ruled in favor of Boshears' criminal defense lawyer, Chuck Bretz, agreeing that Boshears should be granted his freedom while Boshears' awaits his second murder trial. However, Will County Assistant State's Mark Shlifka Jr. disagreed with the logic of Carlson's ruling and the case was appealed to Will County Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre, who has taken over Carlson's caseload.

At 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Judge Colon convened the court to announce her ruling on whether Boshears would be given pretrial release, just as former Judge Carlson determined.

After losing the pretrial hearing, Bretz told several reporters that "we respect the court's decision, but we respectfully disagree with it." Bretz said he would assume that the second murder trial for Boshears would still take place sometime in 2024.

However, there will be a number of pretrial motion filings that will take place first, Bretz said.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

New Trial For Jeremy Boshears In Katie Kearns Murder

Boshears Became A Killer Once He Got His Outlaw Patch: Egan

Jeremy Boshears Didn't Look For Katie Kearns: Testimony

Guilty, Guilty: Jeremy Boshears Murder Trial Verdict