Judge's ally accused of rigging race
POLITICS: S'ville committeeman allegedly coerced voters in Democratic primary
NWI Times
Feb 14, 2004
nwitimes.com/news/local/judge-s-ally-accused-of-rigging-race/article_7a613694-3ffa-5ba7-b1c3-062df691a954.html
CROWN POINT -- A Democratic precinct committeeman has to answer charges he corrupted voters and violated absentee ballot laws to tip an election for a political ally.
A special Lake County grand jury issued a 20-count indictment Friday against Robert "Bosko" Grkinich.
The 48-year-old Schererville resident surrendered Friday afternoon at the Lake County Jail. He was freed on bond pending an initial hearing next week on charges that carry a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison.
He is charged with causing a dozen Schererville residents to violate state election laws forbidding them to vote outside their home precinct, applying for absentee ballots in the name of other voters and voting in the name of other voters.
He also is charged with delivering, examining and posting their filled-in ballots and attempting to get a voter to lie under oath to cover up his activities.
The indictment disappointed some critics who wanted the highest circles of the Democratic Party indicted for making a mockery of last year's municipal elections.
Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter told a news conference Friday morning they are looking for evidence to charge others.
"We have learned many issues that need to be pursued arising from the grand jury's diligent investigative work," Steve Carter said. "Those matters will continue to be pursued both by the task force prosecutor Carter and I are involved with and also through our cooperative work with the U.S. attorney office."
Bernard Carter added: "It certainly does not close out the Schererville election phase at all. There is a lot more work to be done in that area."
The indictment is the result of a six-month grand jury probe that followed on the heels of last year's recount lawsuit, in which lawyers for Schererville Town Judge Kenneth Anderson proved the May 6 primary was stolen from him by absentee ballots. The ballots were linked to Grkinich's efforts to get out the vote for former Schererville Judge Deborah Riga.
The Carters refused comment on whether there were links between Grkinich's alleged crimes, Riga or East Chicago politicians with whom Grkinich is rumored to have ties.
Grkinich is represented by veteran defense lawyers Kevin Milner, of Dyer, and Thomas Mullins, of Merrillville.
"Tom and I are looking forward to presenting a vigorous defense on behalf of Bosko and are confident when all the facts come out that we demonstrate that Bosko did nothing wrong," Milner said.
Riga won last year's primary by 11 votes, but her nomination was reversed last year by a recount judge. The judge declared Anderson the winner after disqualifying 23 absentee ballots for Riga cast in Schererville Precinct 10, an area heavily populated by ethnic Serbians where Grkinich is Democratic committeeman.
Grkinich, raised in East Chicago, is a registered nurse and businessman, who ran unsuccessfully in 2000 for county coroner. He was beaten by David Pastrick, a son of East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick.
Grkinich ran two years ago for St. John Township assessor and lost to Republican Hank Adams. He was considered at the time a rising star in the party for the enthusiasm he brought to campaigning and his attempts to get younger people involved.
An investigation into his campaigning last year paints the picture of a man taking advantage of elderly and naive voters he met at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church.
"You have a very active participant working to subvert the laws and election processes, who has knowledge of how to do that and who intends to defraud the voters out of a fair election process," Steve Carter said.
Bernard Carter said the grand jury heard testimony from more than 30 witnesses before issuing the indictment that revolves around absentee ballots cast by 12 people.
State law forbids anyone but the voter, their immediate or authorized voter registration workers to handle ballots to ensure votes are not influenced or cast in others' names.
The indictment alleges Grkinich broke those laws causing the false application, delivery, receipt or voting of ballots involving Danica Vukovic, Djuro Balac, Jovanka Lakic, Djorg Jovanovic, Ilija Kalinic, Jovanka Blesich, Jovo Blesich, Nedeljko Duvnjak, Dragana Duvnjak, Ranko Markos, Milan Markos and Milica Markos.
It alleges Grkinich induced Blesich to cast a ballot although she was ineligible to vote because she lived a half mile outside the town of Schererville. The other 11 lived in Schererville.
Grkinich also is charged with attempting to persuade Duvnjak to falsely testify in last year's recount trial that she mailed her own ballot.
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