Don 'Duck' Dickinson's Lawsuit Against Roechner, Reid And City Of Joliet Falls Apart: Judge Explains Why

JOLIET, IL — Former Joliet City Councilman Don "Duck" Dickinson lost his ongoing civil lawsuit against the city of Joliet, former Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner and former Deputy Chief of Police Marc Reid. On Friday, the out-of-town judge from Kankakee County ruled in favor of the defendants' motion for summary judgment.

Dickinson has been represented by well-respected downtown Joliet lawyer Frank Andreano of Andreano Law Offices.

“We are disappointed but respect the Court’s ruling. As for an appeal, it is too early for any decision to be made," Andreano told Joliet Patch.

In September 2023, Joliet Patch broke the news revealing that former Joliet City Councilman Don "Duck" Dickinson had retained attorney Frank Andreano to file a civil lawsuit against Joliet, retired police chief Al Roechner and former deputy police chief Marc Reid.

The lawsuit accused Reid and Roechner of conspiracy to inflict emotional distress. The city of Joliet is being sued for malicious prosecution because of Reid and Roechner's role in soliciting Dickinson to make a police report.

"Reid and Roechner, as police officers and policy makers for the city of Joliet, solicited Dickinson to make a police report and then forwarded such report to the Illinois State Police for the purpose of criminal prosecution, and which resulted in the actual criminal prosecution of Dickinson for an offense which he Dickinson did not commit," Andreano's lawsuit outlined.

According to Dickinson's lawsuit: he was a graduate of Joliet West and worked 23 years as a tool-and-die maker, followed by employment as a maintenance worker at Joliet's Park District. Dickinson is also a single father of three now-adult children, "dedicated to his own children and to youth sports and activities."

He won a seat on the Joliet City Council in April 2017 and resigned in November 2020.

On Nov. 2, 2020, the same day he filed his police report with Reid, Dickinson spoke at a Joliet City Council meeting, and he gave an interview with a Joliet newspaper suggesting he had taken photos of his private parts and sent them to a woman with whom he claimed he was having a consensual relationship, but the nude photos got into the wrong hands.

"I feel I have been harassed, badgered, tormented and now blackmailed unfairly. This is over a personal relationship that I had a few years ago with another consenting adult. Photos were sent between us, for us and for us only," Dickinson told everyone at the Nov. 2, 2020, Council meeting.

Just four hours before the same Council meeting, a Joliet police report from Reid listed O'Dekirk as being a suspect for the crime of intimidation.

"During executive session of a city of Joliet Council meeting, Robert O'Dekirk mayor turned and look (sic) at V (Victim) Dickinson and stated, 'And you Dickinson, the truth is going to come out about you.' V (Victim) Dickinson was later advised that S (Suspect) O'Dekirk was informing people that S (Suspect) O'Dekirk claimed to have nude photos of V (Victim) Dickinson."

Friday's ruling came from Kankakee County Judge Lindsay Parkhurst —the same judge who ruled that former mayor Bob O'Dekirk's lawsuit against the city of Joliet, Roechner, Pat Mudron and a host of others needed to be thrown out.

You can read the entire ruling here: