Police & Fire

Murder of Ex's Boyfriend, Gas Station Hate Crime, Teacher Stabbing: Court Watch

Patch covers happenings in major court cases, including those of a Darien man charged with killing a man dating his ex-girlfriend, a man convicted of hitting and spitting on a man at a gas station, and the Naperville man charged with the stabbing death of

By Dan Campana
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December 17, 2012

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Arraignment of Alleged Murderer Pushed Back

Darien: The Dec. 17 hearing for Joseph Spitalli's arraignment in his murder case has been pushed back after a request for cameras in the courtroom was filed. Spitalli is charged in the November murder of a man dating Spitalli's ex-girlfriend. A motion has been filed seeking extended media coverage of Spitalli's arraignment. The judge set a Jan. 9 hearing on the media request, while scheduling the arraignment for Jan. 14, records show.

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Man Guilty of Hate Crime at Gas Station Sentenced

Darien: Ali Akel recently pleaded guilty to aggravated battery as part of a hate crime attack inside a Woodridge gas station in 2011. Akel was sentenced to two years of probation and 364 days of work release from DuPage County Jail, according to court records. He will also spend time in a West Chicago nursing home and is ordered to follow recommendations for psychological treatment, including medications. Akel hit and spit on a 22-year-old man as the pair stood inside the gas station. Akel, described in court records as bipolar, was wanted for several months after failing to appear in court shortly after his arrest.

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Cameras in Courtroom Sought for Murder Hearings

Naperville: Requests for cameras in the courtroom have been filed for upcoming hearings in two high-profile Naperville murder cases, court records show. On Dec. 11, a motion was filed seeking to have cameras in place for Daniel Olaska's next appearance in February. The judge set a Jan. 7 hearing to discuss the request. Olaska is charged with stabbing a Naperville schoolteacher during a bar altercation earlier this year. A similar request also has been made for cameras to cover Elzbieta Plackowska's next court date. Plackowska is accused of stabbing two children to death in October. Her arraignment marked the first time a camera was allowed in a Chicago-area courtroom. Her next scheduled court appearance is set for Jan. 4, but a judge will hear the media request on Dec. 19, records show.