Pair plead not guilty in apparent road rage shooting

DIXON – Two men charged with attempted murder in an apparent road rage case pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges now levied in bills of indictment.

Kennedy L. Jackson Jr., 25, of Helena, Arkansas, and Courtney D. Gaines, 24, of Memphis, Tennessee, were charged Sept. 3 with attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

A grand jury affirmed those charges in the indictments filed Friday in Lee County Court.

Attempted murder carries 6 to 30 years in prison, or up to 80 years if the victim is an officer, firefighter, or corrections officer acting in an official capacity; 20 years can be added for the use of a gun, and at least 85 percent of the term must be served.

Aggravated discharge is punishable by 4 to 15 years.

Jackson is in Lee County Jail on $1 million bond; his next hearing is Oct. 17. He has hired Chicago criminal defense attorney Daniel Radakovich.

Gaines is being held on $100,000 bond. He is represented by Lee County Public Defender Bob Thompson, and has a bond reduction hearing Wednesday.

The two men, who were in the same vehicle, shot at a van Aug. 19 that was being driven by a Dixon man. The shooting happened in the westbound lane of Interstate 88 just before the toll booth, Lee County Assistant State’s Attorney Charlie Boonstra said.

No one was injured.

Boonstra has declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

An arrest warrant was issued Sept. 3 for Jackson; he was arrested Sept. 4 in West Memphis, Arkansas, and booked into the jail on Sept. 11. Gaines was arrested Sept. 4 in Wise County, Texas, and booked in on Sept. 16.

A grand jury investigation, while not rare, also is not a commonly used tool in area county courts.

Grand juries meet in secret, hear testimony and analyze evidence brought by the prosecutor, not to determine a defendant’s guilt, but to determine whether the jurors believe there’s enough probable cause to levy the charges.

An indictment carries more weight than a simple criminal complaint – where it’s up to the judge alone to decide the issue of probable cause – and often is sought by the prosecution in cases involving major felonies, such as this.