What began as a case of aggravated battery stemming from a street altercation here in Key West has led to the arrest of a Chicago-area lawyer on bribery charges. Last June 3, a Chicago man was allegedly assaulted here by two men. Local Attorney John Rotolo was retained to represent one of the men accused in the assault.
Rotolo said that, last month, he received a call from Chicago-area Attorney Brian Grady, who represented the alleged victim in the case. Rotolo said Grady, asked for $10,000 in exchange for assurances that Grady's client would cease cooperating with Monroe County prosecutors. Rotolo indicated to Grady that he might be interested in making a deal— but he then contacted the State Attorney's Office. Prosecutors here then contacted Cook County authorities.
During a subsequent series of recorded telephone conversations, Rotolo negotiated the amount of the bribe down to $8500 and arrangements were made for Rotolo to fly to Chicago to pass the money.
Grady was arrested April 1 after authorities reportedly videotaped Rotolo allegedly handing the money to Grady in the lobby of a Chicago office building.
Two days later, the State Attorney's Office dropped charges against both men accused in the attack, saying that Grady's arrest, and questions about whether the victim might have known about his lawyer's alleged actions, weakened their case.
"We had two individuals that we were prosecuting for violent crimes, and we thought we had sufficient evidence to conduct a good faith investigation," Assistant State Attorney Manny Madruga told the Chicago Tribune. "Based on Grady's arrest, we no longer have a good faith prosecution."