Pubdate: Thu, 19 Apr 2007
Source: Pantagraph, The  (Bloomington, IL)
Copyright: 2007 Pantagraph Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Edith Brady-Lunny
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

WOMAN ACQUITTED OF SELLING HEROIN NEAR NURSING HOME

BLOOMINGTON -- A Bloomington woman was acquitted Thursday of selling 
heroin to a man within 1,000 feet of a nursing home facility.

The jury deliberated about 20 minutes before acquitting Keisha 
Rials-Parks, 26, of the 2200 block of Todd Drive.

She was accused of selling drugs July 24 to a confidential police source.

Prosecutors said the sale took place in an apartment on Tracy Drive 
near a rehabilitation center on South Main Street. The police source 
was a man cooperating with police in exchange for consideration in 
pending criminal cases in Champaign and McLean counties.

Assistant Statea€TMs Attorney Pablo Eves asked the jury to accept the 
credibility of the source despite the mana€TMs extensive criminal record.

Rials-Parks did not testify during the trial and shook her head in 
disagreement with much of the testimony against her. Her attorney 
contended prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence that she was the 
person who supplied the drugs.

Commenting outside the courtroom, Eves said the practice of using 
people not connected with law enforcement to assist police is necessary.

"Undercover officers aren't going to know everyone and they can be 
recognized. Confidential sources can get into places where officers 
can't. Sources are real people with real stories -- not just 
cardboard cutouts,"  said the prosecutor.

During his testimony, the police source admitted he was addicted to 
heroin when he was arrested on forgery and theft charges in McLean 
County last July. He agreed to arrange a drug buy and wear an audio 
recording device while police listened to the conversation, he said.

a€oeI needed help with the cases I had pending. I was hoping my 
sentence would be reduced to the minimum,a€  the source told jurors. 
He said he received four years in prison on the McLean County 
charges, the minimum penalty.

He also was paid $35.

Defense attorney Terry Dodds said the state's case should be rejected 
because "what you have is a grand display of falsity."

The source, described as a 10-time convicted felon "is in the 
business of helping himself," said Dodds.