CROWN POINT | A minor criminal case with significant political baggage arrived special delivery Monday in Lake Superior Court.
David Woerpel, a postal worker known to political observers as "The Mailman" for his employment and political essays, pleaded not guilty Monday to felony charges alleging he and his family grew marijuana in the backyard of their Hammond home this summer. The matter was set for a new hearing Jan. 11.
Political observers in and outside the legal community said Monday the buzz around the case has little to do with the charges, and everything to do with the players and their relationships.
Woerpel is a Democratic precinct captain in Hammond, and he is close to Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., who also is Democratic county chairman.
News of the September arrest of Woerpel, his wife, Tina, and their two sons quickly spread through the county's political circles.
McDermott became so incensed by the arrests he accused Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez of playing politics by targeting Woerpel. Dominguez and McDermott both have expressed interest in running for governor, making them potential rivals in the 2012 primary.
Dominguez has denied any role in the Woerpel criminal investigation, beyond the arrest once charges were filed by state police.
The case has been assigned to the courtroom of Judge Julie Cantrell, the sister of defense attorney John Cantrell. Woerpel hired John Cantrell in September, on the day of his arrest.
John Cantrell, who also is a former law partner with McDermott, was nowhere in sight Monday in his sister's court.
Instead, William Padula, a veteran lawyer who has defended other Hammond and North Township politicians, said he will represent Woerpel. John Cantrell's departure removed a potential conflict of interest.
Judge Cantrell publicly noted her brother no longer was involved in the case. She also questioned Monday why the rest of the Woerpel family are charged in another Lake Superior Court. She said combining the cases would promote "judicial efficiency."
Court records indicate the other Woerpel family members are before Judge Jesse Villalpando, a political rival of the Cantrell family.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, whose office filed the charge against Woerpel, withdrew from the case last week and asked for a special prosecutor to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety in the case.
Carter, who has avoided questions about his withdrawal from the case, has never publicly clashed with McDermott, but he did initiate a criminal investigation three years ago into whether John Cantrell and his father, Robert, improperly intervened after Robert's daughter Jennifer Cantrell, 28, was arrested on drunken driving charges.
A special prosecutor declined to press charges against John and Robert Cantrell.
Robert Cantrell, a longtime political power broker, is serving a federal prison sentence for tax fraud.
