5 Illinois newspapers receive ISBA's Lincoln Media Awards

The Peoria Journal Star, the Kane County Chronicle and three other newspapers received the 2nd annual Abraham Lincoln Media Award from the Illinois State Bar Association at a ceremony at the Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria, on Friday, October 9. The Champaign News-Gazette, the Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake and the Aurora Beacon-News also received the award. The ISBA presentation took place during the Illinois Press Association's annual Illinois Excellence in News & Editorial Contest awards luncheon. ISBA President John G. O'Brien presented the award to the Journal Star for its front page series, "Legal actions against enemy combatant," written by Andy Kravetz. "The ISBA media award recognizes media outlets and/or individual members of the media who have been exemplary in helping foster the public's understanding of the law and the legal system," said O'Brien.  "The Journal Star series clearly deserves this recognition." The Journal Star stories reported on Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a former Bradley University student who was charged post 9-11 with credit card fraud, lying to the FBI and other charges.  He was suspected of being a sleeper agent for al-Qaida.  A local federal judge had been preparing to hold a trial, when the government dropped all charges.  The U.S. Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case.  At issue: whether a person can be held indefinitely without charges as an "enemy combatant." Subsequently, the Obama administration asked the Justice Department to review the case and whether al-Marri had the same right to freedom as that already given to Guantanamo Bay detainees.  Another story reported on a written request by al-Marri's attorneys that their client's detention must be stopped to preserve the country's most cherished constitutional principles. The Kane County Chronicle series began with a feature on the local drug court, followed by features on police training given to two sergeants to help them deal with suspects.  Two other stories reported on the Kane County Diagnostic Center which provides an evaluation and recommended treatment for those in the court system, and also how the prisoners with mental illness receive treatment while incarcerated. Entries in the Abraham Lincoln Media Award were judged by members of the ISBA's Committee on Public Relations.