Shawgo waives preliminary hearing
<p dir="ltr"><span>Beau A. Shawgo, who is charged with first-degree murder in alleged connection to the fight at the Hide-Away Tavern in Percy on Oct. 24, appeared in Randolph County court on Monday and waived his right to a preliminary hearing.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The case will now proceed to trial. Shawgo's attorney, C.J. Baricevic, requested a speedy trial demand - meaning the trial will have to commence within 120 days of the date of the incident.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Shawgo had been represented by public defender James Kelley, but Barcievic - who was defeated by Mike Bost for the Illinois 12th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 8 election and is the son of former 20th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge John Baricevic - told Circuit Court Judge Richard A. Brown that he had sent notification of his appearance in the case by mail to the circuit clerk's office, along with a request for discovery (evidence).</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>"For whatever reason, we haven't been formally entered, but here we stand," Baricevic told Brown.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The case has been scheduled for a case management hearing on Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. It is tentatively scheduled for a January trial.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The charging document states Shawgo allegedly struck 55-year-old Jeffrey "J.R." Welty, of Percy, in the face with his fist with such force "knowing such act created a strong probability of great bodily harm to Jeffrey R. Welty, thereby causing the death of Jeffrey D. Welty."</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Shawgo has been incarcerated at the Randolph County Jail on a $250,000 bond.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>First-degree murder is a Class X felony that carries a punishment range of 20 to 60 years in prison, a maximum fine of $25,000 and three years of supervised release.</span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-66cd6e42-889e-6eb0-84ee-c2c296a51e33"><span>If found guilty, Shawgo must serve the entirety of the sentence.</span><span><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span>