The State Supreme Court has upheld A misdemeanor fleeing and A misdemeanor preventing arrest convictions for Anthony Maurice Washington, 31, of Washurn.

Washington had argued that evidence in the case should have been suppressed because he was arrested illegally and he was justified in leaving the scene of the stop in McLean County. The Supreme Court ruled there is sufficient evidence ot uphold the conviction.

Washington was stopped for driving at 82 mph in a 55 mph zone near Underwood on Jan. 26, 2019. He claimed he gave the officer his Michigan license and explained he had just gotten the license reinstated and Michigan records might not be up to date. The prosecution claimed that the officer checked the status of Washington’s license and was told it was suspended.

The officer tried to place Washington under arrest for driving with a suspended license but Washington thought the officer’s “body language was threatening” and that he was about to be “illegally arrested,” so he fled the scene.

The B misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license and C felony reckless endangerment charges againt Washington were dropped. Washington was sentenced to 360 days on the remaining charges and was given credit for 156 days already served in the McLean County Jail when he was sentenced in October 2019.