Process Server Helps Plan 50th High School Reunion

Fiftieth high school reunions used to be few and far between.

That's not exactly the case in the Inland Valley as more and more local high schools are rounding up old classmates and celebrating their memories. Still, the recent reunion of the Upland High School Class of 1958 was pretty special.

For the once-young students in that 250-member class, it was more than just remembering graduation. That class was the very first one at the Foothill Boulevard school and because of that, those students were in on the ground floor of creating a proud legacy - everything from selecting the school's colors (green and white) to picking its mascot (Highlanders) to deciding on a poignant alma mater.

Jeanette Amberson, a member of the class, wrote the school song at home seated in front of her piano because, she said, somebody had to.

So when the reunion committee started taking the bull by the horns in May, it wasn't surprising that the Class of 1958 rose to the challenge, again.

Verdict Reached But Not Released in Court Case Involving State's Attorney, Process Server, and Gun

A Grand Jury in Union County reached a verdict today regarding the allegations made against State's Attorney Allen James, but the prosecutor is not releasing that decision.

The jurors were considering whether or not to indict James on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and official misconduct.

Union County State's Attorney Allen James is accused of unlawfully pulling a gun on a man trying to serve him a summons.

A verdict has been reached in this case, but the acting prosecutor-- Wayne County State's Attorney Kevin Kakac-- is keeping that decision sealed.

Allegations against Allen James stem from an incident that happened last March in the parking lot outside the Union County courthouse.

Union County State's Attorney Passes Polygraph Over Process Server

Union County State's Attorney Allen W. James said the truth is in the test, and that he passed it twice.

James said he recently took two voluntary polygraph tests in an effort to prove his innocence against allegations that he knowingly pointed a .380 semi-automatic handgun at a man attempting to serve him with a federal subpoena earlier this year.

Christopher Dees, an investigator working for a private company, contends he was attempting to serve James with a subpoena regarding a lawsuit filed by a former state's attorney's office employee the morning of March 19. As Dees approached James, in the parking lot of the Union County Courthouse, James allegedly pulled the gun and pointed it at him, Dees contends.

Dees filed his complaint with the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) on Sept. 9.

James said he doesn't deny carrying the concealed weapon or pointing it at the private investigator, however, he denies having prior knowledge of who Dees was or why he was approaching.

The polygraph test was conducted by Dennis Smith of Herrin, who recently retired from the Illinois State Police.

"He is the person we would send people to and we trusted him," James said. "So, if we trusted him from the prosecutor's standpoint then I might as well trust him from the other side, as well."

Woman Pulls Gun on Process Server

A 48-year-old Lyon Township woman was arrested on Oct. 4 after she pointed a gun at a process server who came to her home to deliver court papers.

According to the report from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Lyon Substation, the 33-year-old Warren man approached the home in the Country Estate Mobile Home Park and the woman came to the door with a gun.

The man said he was about four-to-five feet away from the woman and put his hands in the air while she held him at gun point. He told her he was a process server and she motioned him to put the papers on the deck. He then asked her to sign then, which she refused to do.