Former Major League Baseball player Danny Cox and three other men have reached plea deals over hunting citations issued on his property in rural Freeburg three years ago.
That concludes a case in St. Clair County Circuit Court against eight men, including Freeburg Mayor Seth Spicer. After a month of investigation, the Illinois Conservation Police issued a total of 29 citations and 22 written warnings.
Cox pleaded guilty this week to two of six alleged violations, according to court records. These include using an archery license issued to another person to falsify harvest records, a Class A misdemeanor, and using a decoy to collect 10 cents, a Class B misdemeanor.
Associate Judge Maurche’ Belk fined Cox $700. She dismissed the case related to four other charges, including allegedly placing bait for deer, using a bait in a firearm deer hunt, obtaining an 8-point deer with the help of a bait and failing to wear blaze orange clothing while hunting.
“It was the prosecution that resulted in the convictions on these charges,” said Chris Allen, spokesman for State Attorney James Gomrick’s office, which negotiated the plea deal.
Conservation police officers, formerly known as game wardens, are part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. An IDNR representative declined to comment for this story.
Cox’s conviction for the two violations will result in 22 points being deducted from his hunting license and a 22-month suspension of privileges under the agency’s points system.
Cox, 66, has played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays and coached the Gateway Grizzlies. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Cox’s two sons, Kamdan and Kyle, and a fourth hunter, Steve Pate, signed similar plea deals this week. All are represented by former state prosecutor John Baricevic.
Speiser, 61, owns nearly 300 acres of mostly wooded land owned by the Cox family. The mayor, his son and another man signed plea agreements last month in St. Clair County Circuit Court.
Speiser pleaded guilty to placing bait for deer. Associate Judge L. Dominic Kujawa fined him $400, placed him on 12 months of court supervision and dismissed the case related to three other charges of allegedly using decoys to take white-tailed deer and using decoys to kill firearm deer.
All four charges against Speiser are Class B misdemeanors. Under Illinois law, each person is punishable by up to 6 months in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,500.
Allen said the first charge would also be dismissed if Spicer completes his regulatory duties and is not cited for other hunting violations next year. However, that doesn’t eliminate his penalty. He had nine penalty points on his hunting license, but did not meet the 13-point ban threshold.
Here are the results of other plea deals:
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Kamdan Cox, 30, of Clarksville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to one violation involving turkey hunting. He was fined $800. Belk dismissed the case related to six other subpoenas.
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Kyle Cox, 35, of Belleville, pleaded guilty to using a hunting license issued by another person. He was fined $500. Belk dismissed cases related to two other subpoenas.
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Steve Pate, 65, of Marietta, Ga., pleaded guilty to archery hunting a deer without a valid license and illegally taking a 7-point buck. He was fined $600. Belk dismissed cases related to two other subpoenas.
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Mitchell Speiser, 28, of Freeburg, admitted taking a protected species (white-tailed deer). He was fined $400 and placed on supervision for 12 months. Kujawa dismissed the case related to another subpoena.
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Brian Forrester, 38, of New Athens, pleaded guilty to using a decoy gun to hunt deer. He was fined $300 and placed on supervision for 12 months. Kujawa dismissed the case related to another subpoena.
An eighth hunter, Barry Northerner, 66, of Roswell, Ga., pleaded guilty early and paid a fine for not wearing bright orange clothing instead of negotiating a plea deal.
The Illinois Conservation Police conducted the investigation in the fall of 2022. Incident reports show police conducted scene reconnaissance around the clock and used an Illinois State Police aircraft for aerial surveillance.
Police issued 21 summonses and 12 written warnings to Cox Hunting Group. In their report they claimed:
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Danny Cox used a firearms license issued to his wife, Nancy, who does not hunt, to harvest a doe.
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Kamdan Cox used Nancy’s archery license to harvest a 5-point buck.
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Kyle Cox hunts deer using a free landowner permit, even though he doesn’t live on the land.
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Others in the party used licenses obtained in the name of Danny and Nancy Cox’s daughter, Kayleigh, who does not hunt.
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Police observed trail cameras baited with corn, molasses and mineral salts at nine deer stands or blinds.
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Danny Cox told them he was a “conservationist” who fed the deer year-round to make sure they had enough food.
According to the IDNR, baiting deer is illegal in Illinois due to ethical or “fair chase” standards and the risk of disease transmission from congregate housing, although more than 20 states allow it.
