Outlaws MC Illinois at a Motorcycle Event
CHICAGO, ILL 2/24/2016
Leather vests and colors confiscated after a bar fight do not have to be returned to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, appeals judges have ruled.
RELATED STORY: Outlaws MC still seeks return of leather Vest
The ruling from the 2nd District Appellate Court in Elgin, delivered by Justice Mary Seminara-Schostok, was in line with that of a McHenry County judge, who found the vests and patches to be "contraband in that they were used by members of the Outlaws to facilitate street-gang activity," court documents say.
Several people affiliated with the group were wearing the vests when they were involved in a bar fight at the Lizard Lounge outside Wonder Lake in 2012.
Joel Rabb, an attorney for the Outlaws, has long said the group is a civic organization, not a gang, and that the vests were incidental to the bar fight. He said, “Wearing the vest in and of itself is not a crime,”
This leather vest will be held as contraband, a McHenry County judge ruled
But appeals judges cited testimony from a detective that they said "demonstrated that the Outlaws wore their vests and would resort to violence to recruit members and to show others that they were not to be 'messed with.' "
"In this regard," the appeals judges added, "wearing the vests facilitated the defendants' goal, to be achieved by violent means if necessary, to show their dominance to others."
"Obviously, we are disappointed with the court's determination," Rabb said.
The four Outlaws members who were arrested had their cuts confiscated when they were arrested.
The "plea deal" was for the criminal charge only & had nothing to do with the case about the vests. In other words, the Law already had their cuts in their possession & fought hard to keep them.
Source: Chicago Tribune
