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‘Not Guilty’

Jurors Take 4 Hours To Decide Fate Of Palatine Man Charged With First-Degree Murder


Front sidewalk area outside Pops bar, Bothwell and Slade streets in downtown Palatine, near where 26-year-old Ryan Flannigan was allegedly struck on July 18, 2014.

Front sidewalk area outside Pops bar, Bothwell and Slade streets in downtown Palatine, near where 26-year-old Ryan Flannigan was allegedly struck on July 18, 2014.

A jury of 12 people — seven men and five women — deliberated for nearly four hours Friday (June 5) in a Rolling Meadows courtroom and came away with a not-guilty verdict for Michael Platt, who was charged with first-degree murder.

Platt, 36, had allegedly punched 26-year-old Ryan Flannigan once in the face the night of July 18, 2014, outside Pop’s Bar and Grill on Bothwell Street in downtown Palatine. Flannigan fell to the ground, his head striking the pavement. He had lost consciousness and succumbed to his injures 10 days later.

The jury was tasked with determining whether or not Platt, of Palatine, performed an act that caused death or if he intended to cause great bodily harm with the blow.

As soon as the verdict came down, the room was filled with emotion, both among Flannigan’s friends and family as well as those close to Platt.

Outside the courtroom, family members of Flannigan broke down in tears and seemed to be in shock at the verdict.

Inside the courtroom remained Platt and his family. They were seen sharing tears of joy and hugs.

“I am very disappointed and my heart goes out to the Flannigan family,” Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Gerber said in a somber tone after court adjourned Friday afternoon at the Cook County courthouse on Euclid Avenue.

Asked if there was anything he or fellow Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Piper could have done differently during the trial to persuade the jury, Gerber responded, “no.”

“My heart goes out to the Flannigan family and I am a dad myself, so I understand,” Platt’s lead attorney Sam Amirante stated after court adjourned. “Although the family will never accept his apology, Michael Platt is very remorseful and sorry and he wishes to express that.”

Platt would not field questions from reporters.

According to Amirante, the state overcharged his client and despite Platt admitting on the stand during testimony that he did strike Flannigan, the charge should have never been first-degree murder.

“There was simply no evidence to charge him with that,” Amirante said, “and the jury called the state out on that. The evidence was simply not there.”

Amirante credited his fellow attorney Pam Curran with setting the tone early during opening remarks at the beginning of the trial.

“This is not a happy day for anyone,” Amirante said.

He said he was happy for a quick verdict, but admitted he was beginning to worry during deliberation because if it went on longer, he thought the chance of his client remaining free would dwindle.

Despite the outcome, during closing remarks at the beginning of the day Friday, Piper referred to Platt as a “bully,” who performed a “cowardly attack” on Flannigan and caused severe and horrible injuries resulting in death.

Piper showed the jury pictures of Flannigan alive and healthy and then showed them what he looked like in the hospital and eventually the morgue. At that time, it was noticeable that at least two jurors were crying while looking at the photos.

Amirante emphasized during closing remarks that Platt punched Flannigan only one time and never used any weapons.

“No one ever knows what the result will be from a punch,” Amirante told the jury during closing remarks. “How would Michael Platt know what the result would have been? There is no way. If he knew the result, would we be here? No, because he would not have done that.”

In the end, Platt’s defense was that was protecting a double-amputee friend from what he thought might be an attack by Flannigan and a group of his friends outside the bar that night. He also stated he was defending himself because when he approached the group to save his friend, Flannigan cocked his arm back and Platt thought he would be punched so he reacted.

The prosecution continually stated since last July that Flannigan never once raised his hand to fight anyone and was outside trying to calm his friends who were upset after attending a funeral earlier in the day.

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