Recuses Herself
By Ken Hare
Chicago Defender Staff Writer
Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez has asked a judge to recuse herself from the case against Officer Jason Van Dyke, who fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. The beleagured states attorney took 400 days to bring charges against Jason Van Dyke and only did so hours before a judge ordered the city of Chicago to release a copy of the dashcam video of the shooting last November.
The surprise request came even though Alvarez had dismissed a petition requesting a special prosecutor filed earlier this year, back in February. For the time being, it looks as though the McDonald family and friends prayers have been answered.
“Hopefully, they’ll receive a much fairer and more rigorous prosecution of Jason Van Dyke,” an activist said.