Web Extra!

Charles Flowers, superintendent of the Cook County Regional Office of Education, is expected to be released from custody later today after posting 10 percent of the $100,000 bond imposed on him by Judge Paula Daleo at a hearing in bond court this morning at Maybrook.


Flowers surrendered to Cook County authorities Thursday and was charged with multiple felonies alleging that he stole over $10,000 from the regional office by giving cash advances to employees and used district credit cards to take personal trips and dine in expensive restaurants.


Wearing a blue and gray sweater, a hip-length black leather coat and dark slacks, Flowers, 51, stood flanked by Cook County deputies in front of Daleo, while prosecutor Jim Lynch restated the charges against him. He did not speak during the hearing.


Instead, Flowers’ attorney, Tim Grace, attempted unsuccessfully to get his client’s bond lowered by half, arguing that Flowers spent his career in the service of children through education.


“This man has spent his entire career working for the children of Cook County,” Grace said.


Grace also stated that all of the money advanced to district employees and all credit card charges of a personal nature had been repaid and that Flowers had documentation to prove it.


Asked why an auditor had not been able to find a record of those repayments, Grace shot back, “I don’t know, maybe the auditor isn’t doing his job.”


Flowers will be in court again on Feb. 10 at in Room 103 at the Maybrook courthouse.