>> CAMILLE VAUGHN WAS 16 WHEN SHE LEARNED SHE'D HAVE TO
FIGHT. IT WAS MAY 2021. IN RURAL QUINCY, ILLINOIS, CANDY
SAYS SHE DRANK AT A PARTY, FELL ASLEEP ON A COUCH AND WOKE UP
TO SOMEONE SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOLDING A PILLOW.
>> OVER HER FACE, I COULDN'T REALLY SEE ANYTHING AND I
COULDN'T BREATHE GOOD. ONCE I UNDERSTOOD THIS MAN IS R*****
ME. I KIND OF PUSHED HIM OFF ME, ROLLED OFF THE COUCH AND I
LEAVE THE ROOM AND WENT
AND IMMEDIATELY CRYING AND TELLING MY FRIENDS WHAT HAD
JUST HAPPENED.
>> THE INVESTIGATION AND THREE-DAY BENCH TRIAL WERE
SWIFT WITH A JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE ROBERT ADRIAN
CONVICTING THEN 18 YEAR-OLD DREW CLINTON OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL
ASSAULT CHARGE, CARRIED A MINIMUM SENTENCE FOR YEARS IN
PRISON. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU HEARD THE GUILTY VERDICT?
>> I MEAN, I WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT THE MAN WHO
ASSAULTED ME AND BE GOING TO JAIL BIG GOING TO PRISON.
>> THEN IN JANUARY 2022, A STUNNING PIVOT AT THE
SENTENCING HEARING. YOU REVERSED YOUR OWN RULING?
YES. ACCORDING TO COURT TRANSCRIPTS, JUDGE ADRIAN SAID
ABOUT CLINTON QUOTE, THIS HAPPENED WHEN THIS TEENAGER
BECAUSE HE WAS AND IS A TEENAGER WAS 2 WEEKS PAST 18
YEARS OLD ADDING HE HAS NO PRIOR RECORD, NONE WHATSOEVER
BY LAW. THE COURT IS SUPPOSED TO SENTENCE THIS YOUNG MAN TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. THIS COURT WILL NOT DO THAT.
THAT IS NOT JUST THEN CALLING THE 5 MONTHS CLINTON IT ALREADY
SERVED IN JAIL. QUOTE, PLENTY OF PUNISHMENT. JUDGE ADRIAN
FOUND CLINTON NOT GUILTY.
>> THERE WAS NO NEW EVIDENCE. NOTHING NEW TO MAKE HIM CHANGE
HIS MIND. IT WAS LIKE GETTING SLAPPED IN THE FACE.
>> ACCORDING TO TRANSCRIPTS, ADRIAN CONTINUED, WE HAVE
PEOPLE, ADULTS HAVING PARTIES FOR TEENAGERS AND THEY ALLOW CO
ADS AND FEMALE PEOPLE TO SWIM IN THEIR UNDERWEAR IN THEIR
SWIMMING POOL. THEY PROVIDE LIQUOR TO UNDERAGE PEOPLE.
AND YOU WONDER HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN. WELL, THAT'S HOW THESE
THINGS HAPPEN. THE COURT IS TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH THAT
WHOLE THING.
>> AND WHAT'S GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? I HAD TO LEAVE THE
COURTROOM. I COULDN'T BE IN THERE. I MEAN, I WAS BROKEN.
>> FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS, FACEBOOK GROUPS AND PETITIONS CALLED FOR
JUDGE ADRIAN IS REMOVAL ACCUSING HIM OF REVERSING HIS
RULING TO KEEP CLINTON OUT OF PRISON. DESPITE BELIEVING HE
WAS GUILTY,
PROTESTS PLAYED HIS REELECTION CAMPAIGN. PLANTAIN WAS NOT
KILLED, WHICH HE WON. THEN LATE LAST YEAR, A RARE HEARING WITH
THE ILLINOIS COURTS COMMISSION, THE STATE'S OFFICIAL OVERSIGHT
BOARD.
>> THAT COMMISSION HAS NOW REMOVED YOU FROM THE BENCH.
YES.
>> TODAY, JUDGE ADRIAN STANDS BY HIS REVERSAL NOW SAYING HE
DID IT AFTER REVISITING THE EVIDENCE. I REVISITED.
>> THE WHOLE EVIDENCE BECAUSE I CAN DO THAT. IT'S A BENCH
TRIAL. IT'S NOT A JURY TRIAL. SO I GET TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE
EVIDENCE AGAIN.
AND SO THAT'S ONCE I DID THAT. I SAW THAT I MADE A MISTAKE.
>> HIS STORY NOW THAT HE REVERSED HIS RULING, NOT
BECAUSE HE DISAGREED WITH SENTENCING LAWS. HE SAYS HE NO
LONGER BELIEVED DREW CLINTON COMMITTED ASSAULT.
>> I DIDN'T
EXPLAIN MY NOT GUILTY RULING BECAUSE IN ORDER TO DO THAT,
I WOULD HAVE HAD TO SAY, WELL, I DIDN'T BELIEVE OR YOU DON'T
BELIEVE HER. YES, I DIDN'T BELIEVE OR I WOULD HAVE HAD TO
SAY THAT IN COURT. I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY THAT SHE'S A MINOR.
>> THE OVERSIGHT BOARD NOT BUYING IT, WRITING ADRIAN
INTENTIONALLY SUBVERTED THE LAW THEN LIED ABOUT IT UNDER OATH
TO SERVE HIS OWN INTERESTS, ADDING THEY DON'T ACCEPT HIS
CONTENTION THAT HE MADE A MISTAKE IN FINDING CLINTON
GUILTY AND QUOTE TO ANY REASONABLE PERSON. ADRIAN WAS
REFUSING TO SENTENCE CLINTON TO A MANDATORY PRISON TERM BECAUSE
HE DID NOT BELIEVE PRISON WAS A JUST SENTENCE UNDER THE
CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS FIGHT BECAME ABOUT THE JUDGE. YEAH.
CAMILLE NOW 18 MAINTAINS SHE WAS ASSAULTED.
>> THE COMMISSION SAID YOU LIED OR THAT SONG. THEY ARE ALL
OKAY. THEY'RE TOTALLY WRONG. THE JUDGE SHOULD HAVE
DISCRETION ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY SENTENCE BY NOT BEYOND THE
BOUNDS OF THE LAW. JUDGES HAVE DISCRETION, BUT WITHIN THE
LIMITS OF THE LAW. RIGHT. AND THE COMMISSION FOUND THAT
YOU CIRCUMVENTED THE LAW
NOT GOING INTO A PRESENT. THE COMMISSION DIDN'T LOOK AT
THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE. AND IF THEY WOULD HAVE LOOKED
AT THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE,
THEN THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT HE WAS NOT GUILTY, BUT THEY
DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY'D BE FACING THE
MOB THAT I'VE BEEN FACING THE WHOLE TIME AND THEY DIDN'T WANT
TO DO THAT.
SO IT SIMPLER JUST TO SACRIFICE SUPPORT. JUDGE, YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU WERE SACRIFICED? I DO.
>> CLINTON DECLINED COMMENT FOR THIS STORY. BUT THROUGH HIS
ATTORNEY STILL MAINTAINS HIS INNOCENCE FOR CAMILLE NOW A
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND STILL GRAPPLING WITH NIGHTMARES
WINNING ONE FIGHT.
>> HELPS IS THIS A FORM OF JUSTICE? YES, TO ME IT IS.
HE DOES NOT DESERVE THAT POWER OVER PEOPLE.
>> MAGGIE VESPA, NBC NEWS, QUINCY, ILLINOIS.
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