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Kane County, Ill. (WLS) –
Joe McMahon's pledge in Jason Van Dyke's lawsuit began with a letter from Judge Vincent Gaughan, asking him if he was ready to perform the duties of a special prosecutor. The case, which already held the country's attention, had national implications and was controversial, regardless of how the verdict was pronounced.
McMahon said yes. The case was decided on Friday: Constable Jason Van Dyke was convicted of second degree murder and 16 battery chiefs aggravated with a firearm – one for every shot fired by 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, in October 2014.
Back in his St. Charles office, McMahon reflected on the appointment of the high-profile special prosecutor two years ago.
"It's an honor to be selected to pursue an important case like this," he said. "I was nervous, I knew that my team and I would be judged."
In the past month, Mr. McMahon and his team of five other lawyers spent the week in Chicago returning to Kane County on weekends, still working on the file. He said he was grateful for his teammates and their diligence while sifting through thousands of documents in preparation for the trial. McMahon also stated that he was grateful to the attention of the jurors during the trial and to the verdict that they had rendered on Friday.
"They found that every shot was useless – it was an important and symbolic decision," he said.
Understanding that many police officers may be unhappy with the verdict, Mr. McMahon said that in his view, careful control of their actions would make them even better in their actions. He appreciates the sacrifices made by the officers and prays for their safety.
The case still weighs on McMahon 's spirit.
"No one wins on these cases," he said. "Mr. Van Dyke's family is in great pain and the Hunter family is suffering a lot."
Van Dyke is in custody and must appear in court on October 31, although the date of his conviction has not yet been set.
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