A Cook County judge today found former county commissioner Tony Peraica guilty of destroying his opponent’s campaign sign a few days before the 2010 election. Peraica was sentenced to four months of court supervision for misdemeanor criminal damage to property.
“This is not a happy day for anybody,” said Judge Kerry Kennedy. “You hate to see a public official in this situation.”
A witness identified Peraica as the man in a hoodie and baseball cap striking with a pole and destroying a campaign sign of McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski on Oct. 30, 2010. Peraica, who lost his bid for re-election to Tobolski, did not testify. He said after the trial at the Bridgeview courthouse that he was shocked by the guilty verdict.
“This was not a prosecution,” he said. “This was a persecution for two years.”
Tobolski said he was glad the case was over.
“This is exactly why he lost the election,” Tobolski said. “He is his own worst enemy.”