Officer Busse's Trial Next Week, Glasgow's Office Not Ready

JOLIET, IL —The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has filed court documents asking a judge to delay next week's criminal trial for Bill Busse, the Joliet police officer facing multiple counts of domestic battery against his ex-wife.

Although both of Busse's arrests happened in 2019, Assistant Will County State's Attorney Lindsey Purdy still is not ready for trial, court files show.

Busse's trial, according to the Will County Courthouse calendar, is set to begin Feb. 24. However, Purdy just filed a motion with the judge seeking to continue the jury trial date for Busse.

According to her filing, Busse faces four counts of domestic battery related to his arrest on Dec. 29, 2019.

"During its trial preparation, the People have been in contact with several prospective experts regarding this case," she wrote.

On Feb. 5, Glasgow's prosecutors "engaged an expert, Ms. April Balzhiser, to testify in this matter. In order to provide Ms. Balzhiser with sufficient time to form an opinion in this matter and for a motion in limine to be heard regarding the admissibility of her testimony, the People request a trial continuance of not more than one month regarding this issue," Purdy recently wrote.

Officer Busse has asked for a jury trial, court records show.

However, because of COVID-19 restrictions at the Will County Courthouse, "it is the People's understanding jurors will not be available to hear the matter at this time," Purdy stated. "Given this constraint, the People have no objection to a continuance sufficient to provide the defendant with the form of trial he has selected."

Purdy's filing ends by stating, "the People respectfully request this Honorable Court continue the jury trial set for February 24, 2021 in this matter."

Separately, Purdy filed a motion "to admit prior acts of domestic violence" involving Busse.

"Defendant has committed multiple acts of domestic violence against the complaining witness in this matter," she wrote. "Ms. Busse has suffered multiple reported and unreported incidents of domestic abuse at the hands of the Defendant."

The prosecutor informed the judge of six separate New Lenox Police Department incident report numbers from 2019.

"Further, on December 23, 2019, the defendant struck Ms. Busse about the head, in an unreported incident of domestic violence," Purdy's motion reads.

There are two additional acts of domestic violence perpetrated by the Joliet police officer that are memorialized in "two verified petitions for orders of protection," the assistant district attorney wrote. "Ms. Busse will also testify as to these incidents as outlined in the petitions."

Purdy's motion states: "These incidents of domestic violence committed against Ms. Busse noted above were committed less than one year prior to the charges brought in this case — reflecting a pattern of escalating violence towards Ms. Busse by the defendant. Accordingly, the incidents are timely and relevant for a fact-finder's consideration of the evidence."

One year ago this month, then-Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner fired Busse.

Busse immediately appealed the termination to the city's police and fire commission.

At no point in during 2020 did Roechner bring forward his evidence to show the city's police and fire commission why Busse's firing was warranted.

Then, last month, Roechner worked out a deal with the city of Joliet to get a nearly $20,000 raise for himself in exchange for retiring and leaving the Joliet Police Department immediately.

In December, Busse filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Joliet's police pension board surrounding his attempt to receive a disability pension.

As it stands, Busse remains on the city of Joliet's regular payroll to this day, as has been the case for the past year. The police administration continues to pay him his regular salary for not coming to work.

Busse is being represented by private counsel in his criminal case. He hired the Tomczak Law Group as his criminal defense lawyers.

A Homer Glen resident, Busse joined the Joliet Police Department in June 2013 and before that, served on the Park Forest Police Department where he was on the SWAT team.