CHARLESTON — The Coles County State’s Attorney’s Office plans to
ask for an outside prosecutor for the case against a Charleston police officer
recently arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
State’s Attorney Brian Bower said he’ll request that a judge
appoint the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor’s Office to handle the case against
David N. Iwaniw.
One of the state agency’s duties is to prosecute cases in which
local state’s attorney’s offices have or might appear to have a conflict of
interest.
Bower noted his “long-standing relationship” with the city of
Charleston and its police department from his years as the city’s attorney
before his election as state’s attorney last year. He said that makes using the
appellate prosecutor’s office the best route to take in Iwaniw’s case.
Illinois State Police announced Iwaniw’s arrest last week,
saying the agency investigated the case at the request of the state’s
attorney’s office and Charleston Police Department. The announcement said
Iwaniw was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old female.
Bower said he thinks an attorney from the appellate prosecutor’s
office should be appointed to the case this week. It will then be up to the
attorney from that office to draft the formal charges against Iwaniw, he said.
Iwaniw is free on bond, and Bower said his first court
appearance is scheduled for March 11.
When the arrest was announced, Charleston police indicated that
Iwaniw was on administrative leave from his police duties.
No additional information on the case has been provided, and
Bower said he couldn’t comment on the case because the state office will be
prosecuting