SHE LEARNED SHE'D HAVE TO FIGHT. IT WAS MAY 2021. IN
RURAL QUINCY, ILLINOIS, CANDY SAYS SHE DRANK AT A PARTY, FELL
ASLEEP ON A COUCH AND WOKE UP TO SOMEONE SHE DIDN'T KNOW
HOLDING A PILLOW. >> OVER HER FACE, I COULDN'T
REALLY SEE ANYTHING AND I COULDN'T BREATHE GOOD. ONCE I
UNDERSTOOD THIS MAN IS R***** ME. I KIND OF PUSHED HIM OFF
ME, ROLLED OFF THE COUCH AND I LEAVE THE ROOM AND WENT AND IMMEDIATELY CRYING AND
TELLING MY FRIENDS WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. >> THE INVESTIGATION AND
THREE-DAY BENCH TRIAL WERE SWIFT WITH A JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
COURT JUDGE ROBERT ADRIAN CONVICTING THEN 18 YEAR-OLD
DREW CLINTON OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGE, CARRIED A
MINIMUM SENTENCE FOR YEARS IN PRISON. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN
YOU HEARD THE GUILTY VERDICT? >> I MEAN, I WAS EXTREMELY
HAPPY THAT THE MAN WHO ASSAULTED ME AND BE GOING TO
JAIL BIG GOING TO PRISON. >> THEN IN JANUARY 2022, A
STUNNING PIVOT AT THE SENTENCING HEARING. YOU
REVERSED YOUR OWN RULING? YES. ACCORDING TO COURT
TRANSCRIPTS, JUDGE ADRIAN SAID ABOUT CLINTON QUOTE, THIS
HAPPENED WHEN THIS TEENAGER BECAUSE HE WAS AND IS A
TEENAGER WAS 2 WEEKS PAST 18 YEARS OLD ADDING HE HAS NO
PRIOR RECORD, NONE WHATSOEVER BY LAW. THE COURT IS SUPPOSED
TO SENTENCE THIS YOUNG MAN TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.
THIS COURT WILL NOT DO THAT. THAT IS NOT JUST THEN CALLING
THE 5 MONTHS CLINTON IT ALREADY SERVED IN JAIL. QUOTE, PLENTY
OF PUNISHMENT. JUDGE ADRIAN FOUND CLINTON NOT GUILTY. >> THERE WAS NO NEW EVIDENCE.
NOTHING NEW TO MAKE HIM CHANGE HIS MIND. IT WAS LIKE GETTING
SLAPPED IN THE FACE. >> ACCORDING TO TRANSCRIPTS,
ADRIAN CONTINUED, WE HAVE PEOPLE, ADULTS HAVING PARTIES
FOR TEENAGERS AND THEY ALLOW CO ADS AND FEMALE PEOPLE TO SWIM
IN THEIR UNDERWEAR IN THEIR SWIMMING POOL. THEY PROVIDE
LIQUOR TO UNDERAGE PEOPLE. AND YOU WONDER HOW THESE THINGS
HAPPEN. WELL, THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN. THE COURT IS
TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH THAT WHOLE THING. >> AND WHAT'S GOING THROUGH
YOUR MIND? I HAD TO LEAVE THE COURTROOM. I COULDN'T BE IN
THERE. I MEAN, I WAS BROKEN. >> FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS, FACEBOOK
GROUPS AND PETITIONS CALLED FOR JUDGE ADRIAN IS REMOVAL
ACCUSING HIM OF REVERSING HIS RULING TO KEEP CLINTON OUT OF
PRISON. DESPITE BELIEVING HE WAS GUILTY, PROTESTS PLAYED HIS REELECTION
CAMPAIGN. PLANTAIN WAS NOT KILLED, WHICH HE WON. THEN LATE
LAST YEAR, A RARE HEARING WITH THE ILLINOIS COURTS COMMISSION,
THE STATE'S OFFICIAL OVERSIGHT BOARD. >> THAT COMMISSION HAS NOW
REMOVED YOU FROM THE BENCH. YES. >> TODAY, JUDGE ADRIAN STANDS
BY HIS REVERSAL NOW SAYING HE DID IT AFTER REVISITING THE
EVIDENCE. I REVISITED. >> THE WHOLE EVIDENCE BECAUSE I
CAN DO THAT. IT'S A BENCH TRIAL. IT'S NOT A JURY TRIAL.
SO I GET TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE EVIDENCE AGAIN. AND SO THAT'S ONCE I DID THAT.
I SAW THAT I MADE A MISTAKE. >> HIS STORY NOW THAT HE
REVERSED HIS RULING, NOT BECAUSE HE DISAGREED WITH
SENTENCING LAWS. HE SAYS HE NO LONGER BELIEVED DREW CLINTON
COMMITTED ASSAULT. >> I DIDN'T EXPLAIN MY NOT GUILTY RULING
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO SAY, WELL,
I DIDN'T BELIEVE OR YOU DON'T BELIEVE HER. YES, I DIDN'T
BELIEVE OR I WOULD HAVE HAD TO SAY THAT IN COURT. I DIDN'T
WANT TO SAY THAT SHE'S A MINOR. >> THE OVERSIGHT BOARD NOT
BUYING IT, WRITING ADRIAN INTENTIONALLY SUBVERTED THE LAW
THEN LIED ABOUT IT UNDER OATH TO SERVE HIS OWN INTERESTS,
ADDING THEY DON'T ACCEPT HIS CONTENTION THAT HE MADE A
MISTAKE IN FINDING CLINTON GUILTY AND QUOTE TO ANY
REASONABLE PERSON. ADRIAN WAS REFUSING TO SENTENCE CLINTON TO
A MANDATORY PRISON TERM BECAUSE HE DID NOT BELIEVE PRISON WAS A
JUST SENTENCE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS FIGHT
BECAME ABOUT THE JUDGE. YEAH. CAMILLE NOW 18 MAINTAINS SHE
WAS ASSAULTED. >> THE COMMISSION SAID YOU LIED
OR THAT SONG. THEY ARE ALL OKAY. THEY'RE TOTALLY WRONG.
THE JUDGE SHOULD HAVE DISCRETION ON WHETHER OR NOT
THEY SENTENCE BY NOT BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW. JUDGES HAVE
DISCRETION, BUT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE LAW. RIGHT.
AND THE COMMISSION FOUND THAT YOU CIRCUMVENTED THE LAW NOT GOING INTO A PRESENT.
THE COMMISSION DIDN'T LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.
AND IF THEY WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT
HE WAS NOT GUILTY, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE
THEY KNEW THEY'D BE FACING THE MOB THAT I'VE BEEN FACING THE
WHOLE TIME AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. SO IT SIMPLER JUST TO SACRIFICE
SUPPORT. JUDGE, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE SACRIFICED? I DO. >> CLINTON DECLINED COMMENT FOR
THIS STORY. BUT THROUGH HIS ATTORNEY STILL MAINTAINS HIS
INNOCENCE FOR CAMILLE NOW A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND STILL
GRAPPLING WITH NIGHTMARES WINNING ONE FIGHT. >> HELPS IS THIS A FORM OF
JUSTICE? YES, TO ME IT IS. HE DOES NOT DESERVE THAT POWER
OVER PEOPLE. >> MAGGIE VESPA, NBC NEWS,
QUINCY, ILLINOIS. >> NIGHTLY FILMS IS SPONSORED
BY PFIZER
