Illinois judge under fire for throwing out teen sex assault conviction is removed from criminal cases

A judge in western Illinois who sparked outrage when he threw out the sexual assault conviction of an 18-year-old man, saying the 148 days the man spent in jail was punishment enough, is no longer presiding over a criminal court docket.

An administrative order filed Thursday by Chief Judge Frank McCartney of the Eighth Judicial Circuit assigned Adams County Judge Robert Adrian to small claims, legal matters and probate dockets and other civil cases, effective immediately, the (Quincy) Herald-Whig  reported.

Adrian had presided over a three-day bench trial in which Drew Clinton was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at a graduation party in May.