A Cook County judge Friday declined to sanction Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, due to end her single term as mayor on Monday, in a lawsuit over liquor licenses.
Judge Cecilia Horan said that any fine she issued would ultimately harm Dolton residents rather than the departing mayor.
“The citizens of Dolton have spoken,” Horan said. “They don’t want her to be in charge anymore.”
Henyard came into office four years ago, seemingly a breath of fresh air and promising transparency in village government, although that promise quickly evaporated and village trustees said they were kept in the dark about the true condition of village finances.
“The people of Dolton are going to have to end up paying for this,” Horan said of any fines she might impose. “I don’t want the people of the village to get hit when they don’t deserve to get hit.”
It took a lawsuit and court order by Horan for St. Patrick’s Steakhouse and Rooftop Bar to secure liquor licenses for the business. The lawsuit was filed last September and ordered Henyard, in her capacity as Dolton’s liquor commissioner, to approve the licenses after she initially supported the business coming to the village.
The five-level business was built on the site of a former animal hospital at 15022 Lincoln Ave., just south of Sibley Boulevard and just east of Dolton Bowl.
TAK Group Investments, the owner and operator of St. Patrick’s, planned to sell a liquor store it owns in Dolton, Emporium Beverage Depot, 130 E. Sibley Blvd., to another operator, according to the lawsuit. TAK plans to open a retail liquor store on the first floor of St. Patrick’s.
In March, a federal grand jury subpoena delivered at Dolton Village Hall sought information about St. Patrick’s, including inspection reports and communications between village officials, former and current building tenants and property owners as part of a criminal investigation.
“There was to be sanctions,” Adrian Vuckovich, attorney for TAK, said at Friday’s hearing.
He said that the “fair thing is to impose (sanctions) on the people who engaged in misconduct,” referring to Henyard.
Horan said she was unsure whether she could impose sanctions, or fines, on Henyard individually “for something she did under the color of her office” as mayor and liquor commissioner.
“I am frustrated (Henyard) agreed to issue the licenses then did not do it,” the judge said.
Henyard had previously been found in indirect contempt of court for showing up late to a court hearing. The mayor’s tardiness showed “disrespect for the court,” Horan said at Friday’s hearing.
Attorney McStephen “Max” Solomon, representing Henyard in the lawsuit, said at the hearing that “quite frankly this is personal between the plaintiffs and Miss Henyard.”
“It’s over, let’s just move on,” Solomon said.
Horan did issue admonishments against Henyard and Solomon, alleging that the mayor “placed loosey goosey” with the facts surrounding the issuance of license to St. Patrick’s.
Horan did grant Solomon’s motion to withdraw as Henyard’s attorney as the lawsuit continues, with Manotti Jenkins taking over her defense.
The judge set a July 2 status date for the case.
Vuckovich said that a sticking point going forward is that Henyard was sued in her capacity as mayor and liquor commissioner, roles she will no longer have.
Dolton Trustee Jason House is due to be sworn in Monday as the village’s new mayor after having soundly trounced Henyard in the February Democratic primary. State Sen. Napoleon Harris was elected supervisor after Henyard wasn’t slated by township Democrats in the recent election.
Jenkins said as far as any damages that might result from the TAK lawsuit, “I don’t see any basis where they can be imposed on (Henyard) individually.”
mnolan@southtownstar.com
