CASS COUNTY BOARD MEMBER FACES DOMESTIC BATTERY CHARGE, DECLINES TO RESIGN

BEARDSTOWN, IL — Cass County Board member Eric Snellgrove is facing a misdemeanor domestic battery charge following a September arrest in Beardstown. He has indicated that he does not currently intend to resign from the county board.

According to reporting by the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, Beardstown police arrested Snellgrove, 39, on September 4 in the 1100 block of East Eighth Street. Authorities initially listed an aggravated assault charge; the case now involves a misdemeanor domestic battery count.

Snellgrove was booked and subsequently released. Police have declined to provide details of the alleged incident while the matter remains under investigation. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The judge originally assigned to hear the case recused himself because of Snellgrove’s position as an elected county board member. As of the latest report, a new court date had not been announced, and Snellgrove was representing himself.

The charge has also prompted questions about whether Snellgrove will serve the remainder of his term. Cass County Board Chairman Bill Merriman told the Journal-Courier that Snellgrove sent him a text message after the arrest suggesting he probably should resign.

Merriman said he asked Snellgrove to submit any resignation in writing, but had not received one. When contacted by the newspaper September 29, Snellgrove said he was not resigning at that time and declined further comment.

Merriman also expressed uncertainty about the board’s authority to remove or censure one of its members over a pending criminal charge, and indicated action would be unlikely without a conviction.

Snellgrove represents District 1 and was elected in 2022. His current term expires November 30, and he is not seeking reelection.

The criminal case and Snellgrove’s elected office are separate matters. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.