Community Activist Accused of Petition Fraud Due In Court Tuesday

The 69-year-old community activist indicted last month on charges that she filed fraudulent election petitions in an attempt to get a referendum on the ballot is due in court Tuesday morning.

Myrna Jurcev, the former chair of Oak Lawn Tax Watch, was charged with one felony count of mutilation of election materials, and the misdemeanor offense of disregard of election code.

Prosecutors say that Jurcev changed her story when first confronted about the fraudulent signatures that her mother circulated the petitions to admitting she had forged voters’ signatures as well as her mother’s name on the petition sheets.

The Oak Lawn woman entered a plea of not guilty to charges that she forged signatures on a petition to place a referendum on the April ballot that would have asked voters if the village should change its structure of municipal government.

Prior to that Jurcev was known as a firebrand who frequently spoke out during the public comments portion of village board meetings.

Jurcev appeared at a dual bond hearing and arraignment before Judge Clayton Crane on Oct. 19, where she released on her own recognizance. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison.

She is scheduled to appear before Judge Clayton Crane in room 600 of the Cook County Criminal Courts building at 26th Street and California Avenue at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.