A McHenry County judge has ordered an Algonquin Township trustee to be removed from office after ruling that a prior felony conviction disqualifies him from the position.
Edward Zimel Jr. was elected in 2021 as a trustee for Algonquin Township.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office in August filed a complaint in court seeking the removal of Zimel from his position.
Zimel was charged with two counts of felony intimidation and one count of armed violence in 1990 in Cook County, prosecutors said.
He pleaded guilty to one of the intimidation counts and was sentenced on the charge.
Illinois township code says that anyone convicted “in any court located in the United States of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony” is not eligible to hold office.
“Although the felony conviction of Mr. Zimel stems from 1990, the statute does not contain any limitations or restrictions regarding the time frame for disqualification based on a felony conviction,” the state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.
Zimel’s attorney argued that a five-year statute of limitations applied from the time of conviction when considering a disqualification from office.
McHenry County Judge Joel Berg issued a ruling in the nearly year-long case on Monday.
Berg declared Zimel ineligible to hold his position of trustee due to the felony conviction.
Berg said in his order that Zimel is removed from office effective June 20 unless a stay is issued by the appellate court.
Court records indicate that Zimel is appealing the ruling to the Second District Appellate Court of Illinois.