LOL

You can't make this stuff up. She was making incoherrent and irrelevant statements .. nothing new there if anyone has ever been to a meeting. Maybe she's been drunk all this time.

Snap out of it SPINNEY, you are a criminal, drunk driving is a CRIME !!

Shame on you, Skokie Patch, for choosing to include humiliating details in your article. So unnecessary to the reporting of this story.

Kudos to Skokie Police.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?"

lmao!

I agree nice job spd for making the right call.

I agree Anne. Some of that report was included for attention only. Explain the need to include the urination stuff. "Hey, we just provide what's in the police report" is not suffice.

I do agree that she got what was deserved for drunk driving but at the same time I agree with Anne Coulter about patch not including the humiliating details. They do not put in details about other crimes that are reported by the police.

I do believe that being pulled over for a DUI no matter if your a trustee or not is embarrasing enough.......to have to share the fact that she urinated in her pants is just outragous. Let her be punished by the law for her DUI. Does she need to be publicly shamed for a bodily function? Many women of all ages, due to childbirth or other issues, have incontinence issues. I don't know if that was a factor here or not. The fact she is a Winnetka Trustee, that was taken to jail for a DUI, had it reported on The Patch would have been enough. Really. TMI. (Too Much Information) I feel sorry for her that her "Accident" had to be published.

Once again it is Patches fault for reporting the news.

Here is an idea: Maybe if this woman wasn't so piss drunk and acting like a entitled idiot this would have never happened. She CHOSE to get wasted and drive.

You would all have a different tone if she KILLED someone. Get over yourselves, please.

I 100% agree with Ruth H. Had she not been drunk and putting other people at risk no one would know she peed on herself. Maybe next time she'll think twice before driving drunk.

No reason to include humiliating details...was it necessary to say she urinated in her pants?!

Prediction: Jennifer will soon announce that she's off to rehab. And that it was a combination of meds she was taking and just a bit of grand opening wine that, without any fault on her part, combined to get her drunk, driving and dangerous..and wet.

She deserves anything that is weitten about her. She is a public figure and is driving drunk. She could have killed someone.

I thought white rich people didn't commit crimes.

It's the only time in my life that I agree with Ms Coulter: too much detail about this woman's arrest is unnecessarily damaging, adds nothing to the story, and reflects badly on the writer of this trash and his/her publisher.

I am glad that this woman was detained before she killed someone. Did anyone hear about the teen in Highland Park that recently killed a 5 year old?
I am glad that the Skokie Police paid no attention to the threatening statements of an entitled entitled drunk woman. It is rather refreshing to know that no one is above the law. The accident in her pants perhaps would have been omitted had she behaved in a humble manner.
Yes, perhaps the details of her weak bladder could have been left out. However, without this detail none of us would have taken the time to read the entire story and speak (type) your mind. News flash people, this is just another media strategy to stir up things up a bit and get more, hits, readers, etc.
I just hope this sad and shameful incident keeps all of us from committing the crime of driving drunk.

Wait a minute! This is America where citizens are innocent untll proven guilty. The above Patch article is beyond just ugly. It appears to be a gleeful defamation of character. Shame on George Slefo who authored it. Carry Buck - Winnetka

I agree with Anne (who is the Communications Director for Interfaith Housing Center), Tom and Carry. This sad excuse for a news outlet, which barely does its homework on real issues, jumped at the chance to boost readership without doing anything more than cut and paste from a juicy police report - and gave itself license because Jeni, a volunteer trustee for the village, is a "public figure." I want to add that Jeni Spinney has great heart and integrity. If she made a mistake, let the legal system sort it out. The rest of us would do well to show a little less judgment, a little more compassion, and hope the same is extended to us when our day comes.

You are all missing the point, while having a good laugh. Remember she has not been convicted of anything, and being where she is from, with some probably good connections, there is a likelihood, that some well connected lawyer will get her off on some bone-ass technicality. Then, who will have the last laugh.

I wanted to weigh in on our decision to include the detail from the police report about urination. Several editors at Patch discussed whether or not to include that information. Our reasoning was that it was a pertinent detail in showing what Ms. Spinney’s condition was at the time of her arrest, according to police. Given the absence of a blood alcohol level to report, this was, we believe, an important indicator of her state when pulled off the road.

We don’t include details that are not newsworthy in articles simply to embarrass someone. Conversely, we don’t omit newsworthy details simply because they’re embarrassing. If the information is relevant to the story — and we decided it was in this case — we include it based on that determination.

I know many of you will still disagree with our decision, but I hope that helps explain how we arrived at it.

Glad there was a discussion about it. But when you include details about bodily functions, you've sunk to the level of South Park.

Welcome back to the times of the Scarlett Letter!
Or is it just like that in every village of the world, you know, this... archaic social rule?
Wait, the rule might be archaic, but the medium is not. Because tanks to the Internet, there will be no forgetting and no forgiving, until the 3rd generation at least!
By the way, is it a common rule in local newspaper to make names and faces public to punish people before the law can say anything? If I send you the names and faces of people who drink and drive on Sheridan road, should I include some private details to make sure you publish them?
I don't know this woman but I feel as much ashamed for the people who sign this article than for their victim. And you can tell me she's a criminal. She is both now, thanks to people who want to make their own justice, as in little old villages.

I appreciate the explanation. Still, if you wanted to get the point across that the woman was extremely intoxicated, including the nonsensical statements she made achieved that goal. Adding that she urinated herself doesn't necessarily make the reader think "whoa she was REALLY drunk". You are right that those of us who this that was a mistake will just have to agree to disagree. I want to add that I am glad didn't hurt anyone or herself.

I completely agree Tom. While I also appreciate the explanation, I don't agree with the logic behind the decision. And it's interesting the caption for her booking photo reads: "Winnetka trustee Jennifer Spinney was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Skokie on Sept. 6. Spinney is said to have urinated in her pants during a field sobriety test, according to police. Her court date is Oct. 19. " The fact that Spinney made nonsensical and incoherent statements or refused a Breathalyzer clearly took a back seat to this salacious detail. Patch's logic here fails completely, IMHO.

It's also interesting to note that the Trib's coverage of this story in their local section does not mention this detail.

I think there is some racism going on here. If this was a black person who was in the same situation then it would have been OK to print the details of wet pants and no ride home.

What about if this was Lindsay Lohan. TMZ would have been all over this like ants on a sugar cube.

Gregg, if the subject of the article was African-American, I would be equally as disturbed at the journalistic choice made by Patch. As to TMZ and Lindsay Lohan--I thought Patch was a cut above a gossip rag.

Well, heck. She can just run over a family a few miles away in Highland Park and claim she's a teen of an NPO Exec and Board Member (aka Mom and Dad) without repercussion, so why not try this?! I mean, she's a VIP - being a Trustee and all, with no other relevant experience other than being a bored housewife. Anyone hear of good sales this weekend at Saks, BTW? ;-)

Oh, and all of this is public FOIA info, so don't lose your bowels over the urination details. Children, please.

Oh, and before I forget, thank you to the Skokie Police for their hard work and diligence in keeping our roads and streets safe - for all of Skokie and its surrounding neighbor suburbs. And furthermore, I thank them for not being falsely intimidated or fooled by this woman's incoherent vitriol and diatribe - and "status" in a clearly much more elite community, as she apparently articulated to view as such. Lives may have been and were indeed saved from this selfish, arrogant, fool. Kudos to Skokie PD! :-)

How much privacy and consideration does a defiant drunken driver deserve? None. It's called "enabling".

One last thought - when one is elected to a place of public service (voluntarily) to benefit a community, then they are by default, of public opinion and discourse for their actions (or lack thereof). This woman sought out this public - very public - standing. Therefore, she is held to a standard - that of public opinion, for every action accountable on and off the books. Most people forget this fact about what it really means when holding official titles like hers - and she's at the bottom of the ladder. So why wouldn't this be discourse?! It should be. If she is in a position to make rules or amendments to our quality of lives, why should she be "above the law'? Good (not outstanding) leaders do so by action. What say you of this and her actions, or consequent "leadership" as a Trustee? I'd be very worried...very...starting with a clear problem when it comes to judgement....I'll leave it at that. She is not an individual I would like to represent my community. Her actions speak almost as loud as her words. And that does not bode well for the North Shore reputation of being....<<fill in the rest>>

What's unclear is why she was in Skokie? Was she lost? I applaud the actions of the Skokie police. This should be a wake up call to Jennifer Spinney, driving drunk is definitely a crime.

THIS IS FUNNY JUST BECAUSE SHE IS "UP THERE" PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS WRONG AND ECT, HOW ABOUT IF SHE KILLED YOUR FAMILY THAT NIGHT THEN YOU WOULD BE LIKE ITS OK ALL THE DETAILED INFO. PLUS IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE PUT ON BLAST DONT DRINK AND DRIVE THATS WHY THERE IS A WORD CALLED ***CAB*** TAXI***

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GEORGE

I guess she is not the only one,
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-wilmette-man-charged-with-dui-rear-ending-chicago-police-car-20120908,0,4543336.story

People should note that no one is saying that reporting that the trustee got arrested for DUI is wrong. She drove drunk, so she should have been stopped, arrested, and the residents of Winnetka need to be informed about illegal activities done by their trustees. The issue is the inclusion of the part that she urinated on herself. The editor herself they said they had a discussion about whether to include this in the story, and thought it was relevant to explain how intoxicated she was. We who disagree just think that was a mistake, and so did the Tribune who reported the exact same story without the urine stuff. Do you think the readers who got the story from that source came away with less of an idea how drunk she was? I actually think this discussion is good (Patch is good at creating traffic with controversial stuff), and I suspect the Patch learned somethings about themselves about what constitutes good journalism. Sometimes the ice cream sundae is fine without the cherry on top.

Hmmmm, Jenny did admit she was drunk, therefore, " innocent until proven guilty " does not apply to this story. I am embarrassed Ms. Spinney had to implicate our village Chief of Police. If not true, an apology from her should be issued.

Just a Q: If one refuses a breathalyzer test isn't that an automatic lost of ones drivers licenses?

Wait, Did anyone hear about the cougar sighting on the Northshore? As recently as Labor Day, a cougar was cited by many in the Northshore area. So.........

The Winnetka Patch has stooped to the level of the National Enquirer. Now I have an on-line "rag" in my e-mail in-box. Do they not possess any sort of journalistic standard? We have a Village Trustee who was cited for DUI. That is news enough for the community to digest. As a community we can form our opinion of Jenny from that headline alone. Anything more is simply an attempt to embarrass.

It's uncanny how the police catch people. I try not to drive really late in that area. They are watching:)

I have to admit this is anarchy. To post the details of the arrest is irrelevant, actually it's distasteful to degrade an upstanding citizen they way they did to a community newspaper. It's cruel, mean, low, and slanderous, it is defamation of character. They didn't play fair, and they took legal policy technically, and it's damaging to the village. The lady here should be rewarded for this public unrest, it democracy in its most evil form. Actually, the police is wrong, to cite those details in the report, but it wasn't completely wrong to report it. I hope this woman gets a good lawyer, maybe the tables can be turned, and the brutality can be seen. It's truly mental assault, and socialism. She is not the only person that needs attention in this article. :)

It's not the paper that's wrong for reporting this; it's was wrong to catch her like that. She is non violent, and all the prejudiced predispositions mentions doesn't really apply. She didn't kill anyone. She got behind the wheel, but that doesn't merit anyone here a right to her human right to respect, reciprocity, dignity, and legal protections in this matter. People drive drink all the time. But it's wrong to put her on blast like that. She didn't commit a violent crime, Yes it's a crime to drive while drunk, but she has rights also. I don't trust the police. The reporter made the right call though. Maybe the village can be protected from encounters like that. I was profiled more times than I'd like to admit while on the Northshore. Especially while driving late or early. Shameful actions here. To humiliate her like that is wrong. It's terrifying to be confronted by police, I would've peed also. She deserves an apology and reward for violating her humanity like that. She should be rewarded for that and public ally apologised to for putting her on blast like that. If she had hurt herself or someone else that would have been different, but driving too slow, really? I don't buy it. I apologise for them they are wrong. Not the reporter, but the other one. Shame on you.

Nobody is pro-drunk driving, but I hope that all that have posted mean spirited and negative comments be as perfect as they believe themselves to be. I don't care who you are - a DUI is a frightening and embarrassing possibility for anyone who has had a couple of drinks and gotten behind the wheel at any point in their lives. This indiscretion is not a true reflection of who Jeni Spinney truly is as a person or Village Trustee!!

This person being discussed has a family first. Respect for their privacy should be considered on further humiliation. Since the Patch writes how "it" was discussed before press release, it was MEAN-SPIRITED of them to print this add- on. Police do have to write down all behaviors...and its Public property. It's media discretion after that. Let the Courts discuss the particulars pertaining to this DUI.

My biggest issue is the name dropping. Because of her name dropping, this is cause for an investigation to determine if she spent the "last hour drinking with -------- or a lie in attempt to get off. After all, if true (doubt it) the importance of ---------- drinking with her and he allowing her to get in a car and drive home, is totally devastating end result, considering his position in the village. If a lie, the State may decide not to call him to testify.

Sun Times took the high road as well: http://skokie.suntimes.com/news/15004063-418/winnetka-trustee-spinney-charged-with-dui-in-skokie.html. Its not Patch as a whole, its just the mean spirited slant it takes on crime in this community.

Police- hey you did your job, all the details are not explained. So I will let you off the hook on this one. I was just so embarrassed for the driver, and sorry I jumped the..... On this one. Again sorry for the Officers who had to take her down, and sorry Jeni for the bad decision here. Hey, everyone has to apologise once in their lifetime. :)
Love you all :)

Again; I was too hasty on my opinion about how the police handled the situation. Sorry for that Skokie Police:)
Please don't arrest me:) For anything. I will behave. For Mrs. Jena, I'm sure she would be proud to see a young person behaving respectfully to police officers. God Love you all:)

Gregg Baker;
No the cougar was not drinking and driving. :)

Gregg-
The issue is not driving while intoxicated. Many people drive while intoxicated. No, it's getting caught driving Slow at night on the Northshore while intoxicated.:)

This story is bad any way you look at it. Ms. Spinney will pay for this mistake. Lets not take away from her charector. She has served the village of Winnetka for two years and made great changes in the town. She makes no money for her time and has fought an up hill battle doing so. Give her a break. Fortunately no one was hurt except her pride. I'm confident a lesson has been learned.

She made a bad decision but she didn't deserve to be humiliated. There aren't many people in winnetka who haven't driven drunk at some point.

ebuddha--so, the affluence of the community is the determining factor in making this detail a relevant issue? That if she lived in a less affluent community it would NOT have been OK to publish that...because, after all, then she wouldn't have required, by your estimation, to be publicly humiliated? Is that your contention?

I think it was relevant, period.
But a lot of people feel that because of who she is, give her a break.
I think DUI and other substance related issues are tolerated in this community and when people get caught, money gets them off the hook.
I think a huge case should be made out of DUI every time it happens in our community, as if someone died as a result, because that is how serious it is. Just becausevthe police did their job and prevented her from killing someone does not lessen the crime she committed against all of us (making our community less safe).
And as far as the neighborhood justifying the humiliation, I'm sure nobody that has written in with their outrage would have cared one bit if the drunk driver was a south side alderman.

This disdain for wealthy people sentiment that has gained momentum the past 4 years is pathetic. It's plain pathetic. I know 3 people in the world that would choose to be middle class over upper class from an income standpoint and all three are characters on TV. The assertion that "rich people get off" is total bunk and the fact is NO ONE gets themselves off of a crime. It's the system, and we elect those that legislate the rules. If someone "beats the system", it's the system that is at fault, not the person. Again, I don't condone drunk driving in the least, in fact I'm a recovering alcoholic and don't drink. But I'm tired of the less wealthy blaming their lot in life on wealthy people. If you don't have a lot of money, there are likely a dozen or more reasons and they are due to your actions.

ebuddha--well I would have cared. Make no mistake, I have no sympathy for anyone who drives drunk, and puts lives at stake. And my outrage here is aimed at the intoxicated person behind the wheel, not at the person or people behind a desk writing a story. But of far more relevance to me to the circumstances at hand was that the Skokie Police Officer who stopped her had to use his squad lights, siren and air horn to get her to pull over to the side of the road, and that it took nearly a minute for her to do so. That was reported in the Trib, but not here on Patch. To me, that is far more of an indication of Spinney's state when stopped by Police, which is what the Patch claims was their determining factor in deciding to include this detail in the story. Sorry, but I just don't buy their explanation.

What detail are you referring to? Are you referring to the "urination in her pants" or the "I just spent an hour with the Winnetka Chief of Police"

Hmmmm, so you look at the recently added and suspiciously placed link adjacent to this string of comments, you'll see Jeni Spinney at the ribbon cutting - in the daytime - looking cheery and wearing the same clothes as in the mugshot.
http://winnetka.patch.com/articles/photos-lake-shore-acupuncture-s-holds-grand-opening-in-winnetka#photo-11249791

That evening, all but one of the Winnetka Trustees were at a town hall meeting from 7:30 - ???? So some time between the end of that meeting and when the police pulled her over, Spinney was alone and doing who knows what.... But no one writing to this forum knows if she's on prescription meds or had some sort of episode or has a condition. All we know is that she was by herself, outside of Winnetka very late at night and altered in some way (since no breathalizer was enforced, we do not know for 100% sure if excessive alcohol played a factor). With those details, I feel genuinely sorry for her and hope that this is a wake-up if there's a problem. Of course, I'm also thankful she did no harm to herself or someone else.

Roxanne - you are 100% correct. I am absolutely sick of everyone defending this woman. The people supporting this woman are part of the problem. There is such a sense of entitlement in this community that makes me sick. The attitude that (a) she (or "we") are not criminal(s) and (b) she has done so much good -- blah blah blah.

She could have killed someone. She should be treated the same as a person who walks into a movie theater with a loaded gun. Maybe she didn't get a shot off because the police stopped her, but that is just how seriously dangerous what she did was.

She should be made an example of so everyone else in this community who thinks its OK to be out having 'a few drinks' and drive home a few blocks a bit tipsy.

It's no wonder that the teenagers in this community have such a problem with alcohol - their parents are the enablers and all of the comments on this article illustrate that.

The only policy that is acceptable is zero tolerance and people who make the mistake should be made a public example of. Sad to say, but public humiliation is the only thing that seems to wake people up around here.

The American Society for the Prevention of Humiliating Arrested Trustees has asked that everyone stop commenting on this article. It appears the issue has been beaten to death and the trustee has had about all she can take.

Of course, the trustee posting a video apology for being arrested and admitting being a drunk driver and then humiliating herself via obnoxious comments would be in order. However, she does not have to apologize for wetting herself because it has nothing to do with the issue.

If she smoked a joint.... this wouldn't of happened ;)

@ebudda: It does not appear that you will get your wish. The Defenders have not come back to circle the wagons. Perhaps this issue has run the course.

BTW: Marie Osmond of the Osmonds also wet herself on stage in England because she was laughing so hard. Maybe the next discussion topic should be "Which is more humiliating: wetting your pants on stage in front of 50,000 or in front of policeman who is arresting you?"

Pleeez let's make this stop.

NO ONE posting is saying that this arrest was not newsworthy.
EVERYONE posting was relived no one was hurt and agrees drunk driving is bad. We all feel the same way on those very important points.

The division seems to be over the petty peeing of the pants part (try to say that fast!). As crass as that is -- that's all this debate is about. It's not about special protection b/c she's from Winnetka (therefore assumed to be "rich") or b/c she's a public official or entitled to protective status or whatever.

It's just this:
EVERY OTHER NEWS SOURCE declined to include as many humiliating and UNimportant details - like the urination headline! - as the Patch.
Others just gave us the news straight-up w/o the saucy garnish. But guess what......the Patch probably "wins" (when it comes to ad dollars) b/c few are submitting as many comments on the Trib or the Winnetka "Not-so" Current. The Patch wins attention, hits and a passionate following.....like us that are still commenting.

We all got suckered in by the urine. And should maybe move on and elsewhere....

you should have taken pictures first, provided them to the cops as evidence so charges could have been and then posted them online - maybe i'll start a website called NORTHSHORE_STOCKADE.com and people can submit photos of drunk drivers, underage substance abuse, etc. and we can keep a list of families who enable this b.s.

Reporting the urination aspect was not sleazy. And there is a precedent for it.
Juan Cruz was drunk and arrested and he while in cuffs he scooted his chair over to the arresting officer and farted on him. The officer charged him with assault, but that charge was dropped as soon as the air cleared.

Personally, I enjoyed the article, though from my perspective, they did not cross any lines. I also enjoyed all the discourse. Isn't that part of building community? We can all come together to agree to disagree. The only sad thing here is that we accomplished just as much as either our state government or the federal government in the course of 3 months.

the weekend is coming, lots of socializing the next couple of nights - Spinney, make sure you're wearing your depends_for_drinkers this time.....and CALL A CAB!

keep on reporting the news regadless who is behined the wheel

Winnetka residents should have all the details--the fact that she was so drunk that she peed in her pants but was still driving is important. She obviously exercised bad judgment--she needs to resign. She could have killed someone. How do we tell out children not to drink and drive if a village trustee is doing it? We can't have someone like that serving the village.

Just think of what could be accomplished if everyone took the passion and fervor that they poured into these posts, and instead, poured that same energy into creating stronger DUI enforcement and more effective prevention of DUI.

It does seem that everyone agrees that drinking and driving are not a good idea.
Alcohol and gasoline DO mix....they just don't taste good together.