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McLean County State's Attorney Wins Appeal By Home Invader

Staff
/
WGLT

An Illinois appeals court has rejected a claim by a convicted home invader in Normal that he didn't harm anyone and shouldn't be punished.

Court records show police were chasing Chad Dorsey in March of 2013, trying to arrest him on a warrant. Dorsey broke down a door into a family's apartment.

Inside, Dorsey knocked a Taser out of the hands of an officer, damaged walls and furniture, tried to shoot the officer with the Taser, brawled with the officer, and then finally surrendered as other officers held guns on him.

McLean County Circuit Judge Scott Drazewski convicted Dorsey in a Bench trial and sentenced him to sixteen years in prison.

Dorsey claimed he never touched any of the residents and so could not have harmed them.

Appeals court justices rejected that claim, noting family members testified they were traumatized and that they had gone to therapy for the after effects of the incident.  The Judges ruled psychological harm is real harm.

They also rejected Dorsey's claims that other cases involving psychological harm all involved physical contact. They wrote that is a distinction without a difference.

WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.
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