Special Prosecutor to re-examine case of Koschman, Daley Nephew

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Declaring “the system has failed” David Koschman, a Cook County judge took the rare step Friday of appointing a special prosecutor to re-examine the 2004 case of the 21-year-old from Mount Prospect who died as the result of being punched in the face by Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko, a nephew of then-Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Cook County Circuit Judge Michael P. Toomin said it would be an “injustice” not to bring in an outside prosecutor to review the politically charged case — including the way it was handled by the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

The judge had harsh words for police and prosecutors. He singled out their assertion that the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Vanecko, who was never charged, acted in self-defense when he hit the 5-foot-5, 140-pound Koschman, who never threw a punch.

“This was a defense conjured up by police and prosecutors,” Toomin said, noting that Vanecko never spoke with police and calling it “the fiction of self-defense.”

Toomin — who choked up at one point — said police reports apparently were fabricated to portray Koschman as the aggressor in the drunken confrontation, contrary to sworn statements witnesses gave last year during a reinvestigation of the case by Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, prompted by the Sun-Times’ reports.

You'll want to read the whole article. From the judge.