Springfield, Illinois – Sangamon County Assistant State’s Attorney, Edward Brandt, resigned yesterday, December 30, 2019, from the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.
This resignation comes after Brandt was placed on leave on Thursday, December 26, 2019. The leave was the result of a traffic stop that occurred at 1:30 a.m. on December 21, 2019.
According to the official police report, on December 21, 2019 around 1:30 a.m., Officer Adam Rade with the University of Illinois at Springfield Police Department stated that he was traveling northbound on 11th st., near the intersection of University Drive when he noticed a vehicle traveling southbound on 11th St. As the vehicle approached Officer Rade’s squad car, he turned on his squad car’s moving radar and locked in the vehicle’s speed going 59 mph in a 45 mph zone. Officer Rade then turned around and caught up to the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop at the Toronto Road entrance of Capital Area Career Center (CACC).
Officer Rade then approached the passenger side of the vehicle and spoke with the driver, who was identified as Edward J. Brandt. Officer Rade told Brandt that he stopped him for his excessive speed. The Officer also reported that he noticed an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle at that time. The Officer asked Brandt how much he had to drink and Brandt told the officer that he had nothing to drink.
The Officer then ran Brandt through dispatch and approached Brandt’s vehicle again, on the driver’s side, and asked Brandt to put out his freshly lit cigarette. The Officer told Brandt that the freshly lit cigarette and the odor of alcohol was suspicious to him. The Officer asked Brandt if he would be willing to take a few field sobriety tests, which Brandt refused. At that time, Officer Rade asked for assistance from Sgt. Justin Emmons with the University of Illinois at Springfield Police Department.
Sgt. Emmons arrived to the traffic stop around 1:39 p.m., according to Officer Rade’s Report. Officer Rade reports that he told Sgt. Emmons his reason for the traffic stop and his observations. The Officer also told his Sgt., that he wanted to get Brandt out of the vehicle for further observation. Both Officers then approached Brant’s vehicle and asked him to step out. “As Brandt got out I asked him to stand between his vehicle and mine. As he walked, he did not stumble or sway. I began asking him questions about is destination and he told me he was going to pick up his friend from Crows Mill Pub. While speaking with Brandt I did not detect any heavy odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. I told him to sit back in his vehicle,” according to Officer Rade.
Officer Rade then reported that he walked back to his squad car with Sgt. Emmons and shuts off his microphone to discuss his observation. During the discussion, according to Officer Rade, there was not enough evidence to make a probable cause arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Officer Rade forgot to turn his microphone back on when speaking with Brandt.
“We re-approached Brandt’s vehicle and I forgot to turn my microphone back on. I asked Brandt if he would be willing to get a ride home and park his car in the CACC parking lot we were stopped next to, and he said yes,” reported Officer Rade. Brandt then parked his vehicle in the vacant parking lot and waiting for his ride to arrive. According to Officer Rade, Andrew Affrunti, who is also an Assistant Sangamon County Assistant State’s Attorney, arrived at approximately 1:55 a.m. to take Brandt home.
According to Sgt. Emmons supplemental report, he reported that after discussing with Officer Rade the reason for the traffic stop, they asked Brandt to do a standardized field sobriety test again, which he declined. “Upon viewing Brandt, it was my belief from my experience that he had consumed some amount of an alcoholic beverage, but his impairment was not obvious. He walked without stumbling or swaying, and he did not have any discernible speech slurs. His eyes appeared slightly bloodshot,” reported Sgt. Emmons. “It was decided that at this time, without any clues from the SFSTs (Standardized field sobriety tests), we lacked the evidence to make a probable cause arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, and we would attempt to find a ride for Brandt,” reported Sgt. Emmons.
Sgt. Emmons contacts a friend of Brandt’s to arrange a ride
Sgt. Emmons reported that he made contact with the friend that Brandt was going to meet at the Crow’s Mill Pub to inquire if he can give Brandt a ride. According to the friend, who’s name is redacted from the police report, the friend told Sgt. Emmons that he was currently on his way to the airport and unavailable, but he would call someone else to try to arrange a ride for Brandt. Sgt. Emmons then received a call from Andrew Affrunti, who stated that he would provide a ride for Brandt, but did not have a way to assist in removing his vehicle from the scene. According to Sgt. Emmons supplemental report, Officer Rade explained to Brandt that he could park his vehicle in the vacant CACC lot at his own risk of it being towed if he so choosed, and Brandt stated that it was fine. (Link to police report is at bottom of Article.)
According to Brant’s resignation letter dated December 30, 2019, Brandt stated, “I am voluntarily resigning my position with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, effective immediately.” (Link to Brandt’s resignation letter is at bottom of article.)
Brandt, who was hired in August 2011, made $56,732.33 annually as the chief prosecutor of the Juvenile Division in the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Although Brandt was pulled over for going 14 miles per hour over the speed limit, it does not appear, according to the report, that Brandt was given a citation for speeding. Also according to Sangamon County records, it does not appear that Brandt was issued any citations for this traffic stop.
Stay tuned to Springfield Leaks for further updates.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW BRANDT’S TRAFFIC STOP POLICE REPORT
CLICK HERE TO VIEW BRANDT’S RESIGNATION LETTER