Former CDBabes owner Mike Jones said it wasn’t exactly surprising that prosecutors moved to have a judge reconsider a ruling suppressing all evidence gathered in a 2002 law enforcement raid on his home and business, in a case charging him with obscenity and child porn.
“It was a little bit disappointing, but expected,” Jones told AVN.com Feb. 23. “It’s election time, and they just want to extend it out until after the primary election.” That refers to a primary between a state’s attorney candidate backed by the incumbent state’s attorney and a candidate backed by the incumbent McHenry County Sheriff.
But Jones also said he expects Judge Sharon Prather’s original suppression ruling to stand. Prather ruled in mid-January that the fall 2002 raids equaled prior restraint on free expression, clearing a path for the case against Jones to be dropped entirely.
“I highly doubt the judge will change her ruling,” he said, “because we had them on so many points where they were wrong, that I highly suspect the judge is not going to change.”
Jones sold CDBabes to Gecko Productions in December, saying the damage the case did to the business was enough to force him to sell rather than continue trying. But he continues his photography work otherwise, he said.
“I’m still shooting,” he said. “All [the motion to reconsider] does is drag things out another month.” But he also said things could continue even for another month beyond, even if Prather’s original ruling is sustained.
“If the judge isn’t going to change her mind, [prosecutors] need to make their minds up on how they’re going to drop it. Either they make the motion, or the judge rules the case [can’t be tried] due to lack of evidence. They might drop it altogether themselves, or they could still file an appeal at the state level. Right now, it’s still a waiting game.
