Richard Devine, the former Cook County state’s attorney who decided not to charge Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko in 2004, said of Friday’s guilty plea by Vanecko to a manslaughter charge, “It is what it is.
“You have experienced attorneys on both sides who saw this as an acceptable resolution, and the judge approved it,” said Devine, who before being elected state’s attorney was the top deputy to Vanecko’s uncle, Richard M. Daley, when Daley was state’s attorney.
“People can look at situations differently. The responsible attorneys in the state’s attorney’s office reviewed the case and reached a conclusion. The special prosecutors reached a conclusion. That’s part of the legal process. Those things happen.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of people saying a lot of things about this one.”
