Does this mean the parade is back on?
"Nearly half the criminal charges brought against the alleged drunken louts accused of ruining the South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade were thrown out of court Tuesday after Chicago cops failed to appear in court," the Southtown Star reports.
"The record 54 arrests at this year's parade were a key reason given by parade organizers for canceling next year's parade. The Morgan Park district commander cited that figure as an indicator of increased public drunkenness at this year's event March 15.
"But of the 39 defendants who appeared in court Tuesday on charges connected with drunkenness at the parade, 21 had their cases dismissed after the officers who signed complaints against them failed to show up in at the Calumet District courthouse, according to Chicago Law Department spokeswoman Jenny Hoyle."
A Chicago police spokesman told the SouthtownStar that the department is "looking into this."
Officers did show up in the cases of 18 unlucky defendants; most paid a $75 fine and were sentenced to three months' probation.
Three pleaded innocent and are set to stand trial next month.
