Former Riverdale Mayor Gets 6 Months in Prison for Lying Under Oath

Former Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson was sentenced to six months in prison this week. A federal judge ruled that Jackson had lied during a legal proceeding to hide his money connections to a landfill owner. That landfill owner did business with Riverdale, a small village south of Chicago that has long struggled with money problems.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said Jackson had lived an impressive life before this moment. Jackson grew up in Chicago's housing projects and worked hard to get out of poverty. He washed dishes to pay for college and later went into public service, eventually becoming the mayor of Riverdale. The judge noted that Jackson had promised voters he would fix the village's financial problems when he took office.

That is why the judge said he found it so disappointing that Jackson chose to lie. Jackson lied during a civil deposition, which is a formal question-and-answer session used in legal cases where a person must tell the truth. He lied to cover up his dealings with a businessman named James Bracken, who was already being investigated by the federal government for corruption.

The judge pointed out that telling the truth might have gotten Jackson into serious trouble, but lying under oath made things much worse. A person who lies during a deposition can be charged with a crime called perjury. Jackson's choice to hide the truth is what led directly to his six-month prison sentence.

In other news around Chicago and the world, voters are getting ready to pick members of the Chicago school board for the first time ever. The city will hold its first fully elected school board vote on November 3. Three candidates are running for board president: Hilario Dominguez, Jessica Biggs, and Victor Henderson. Each has shared ideas about how to help Chicago Public Schools students do better in class.

On the sports front, hockey star Patrick Kane made history while playing for the Chicago Blackhawks. He recorded his 896th career assist, which is the most ever by an American-born player in NHL history. His achievement passed Hall of Famer Phil Housley, and it came during a 4–3 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets.

There was also exciting entertainment news for Chicago fans. The Savannah Bananas, a fun and trick-filled baseball touring show, announced they are coming to Soldier Field in 2027. It will be the first time baseball has ever been played at the famous 102-year-old stadium. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV showed signs of recovery from lung surgery by speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone and meeting with top church leaders.