Winnebago County coroner agrees to paid leave of absence

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current

ROCKFORD — Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz has agreed to take a paid leave of absence pending the outcome of criminal charges filed against him.

Hintz entered an agreement with Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli for voluntary leave on Thursday, the chairman said in a news release Monday.

As part of the agreement, Hintz is prohibited from accessing any county-issued property or performing any duties of the office. County Board members are expected to sign off on the agreement at their next meeting Thursday.

Related: Winnebago County isn’t required to have an elected coroner. Does it still make sense? 

For nearly a year, Hintz has ignored calls to step down from office after he was charged with two counts of theft, 12 counts of forgery and 23 counts of official misconduct by the Illinois Attorney General last October. On Sept. 2, the state attorney general’s office handed down six additional counts of official misconduct and six more counts of theft.

Hintz has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is due back in court on Oct. 8.

Related: How lawmakers are responding after Winnebago County coroner charged with stealing from the dead

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.