Criminal law attorney Constantine “Connie” Xinos bagged a trophy worth bragging about: nailing 11-year-old Sydney Sabbagha for trying to defend the staff of the public library of Oak Brook, Illinois. This Pediatric Perry Mason moment was a matter of some pride for Xinos, who told a reporter “I wanted that kid to lose sleep that night.”
Sabbagha crossed the line for Xinos when she had the audacity to stand in front of the village board and emotionally call for the librarians to be rehired: “I used to go to the library knowing there were people there to help me find a book. Now there is no one to help me. It will never be the same without the people you fired.”
Thank God, Xinos was there to pounce on the greedy little tyke.
Xinos held nothing back and denounced such “whining” and wanted “Those who come up here with tears in their eyes talking about the library, put your money where your mouth is. He then added some tailored mockery to his menace: “I don’t care that you guys miss the librarian, and she was nice, and she helped you find books.” He proclaimed himself unmoved by “crocodile tears” over overpaid librarians and told the board that it had to be tough (like him presumably) and “stop indulging people in their hobbies” and “their little, personal, private wants.”
Over the course of a nearly two-hour interview “in his Mercedes-Benz in the gated Oak Brook community where he lives, and boasted “This is the real world and the lesson, you folks who brought your kids here, is if you want something, pay for it.”
Bless you Mr. Xinos. Little Sydney will never forget your lesson.
By the way, Xinos does not just educate little children to put away childish thoughts of decency and literacy, he also holds forth on the dangers of old people. He unsuccessfully ran for various offices. He has also campaigned against a plan to allow subsidized housing for seniors, declaring, “I don’t want to live next to poor people. I don’t want poor people in my town.” The former Marine also educates on the dangers of Teamsters, saying “Nobody here likes those kind of people.”
The most interesting part of the interview came with his surprising revelation that he decided not to have children because he did not know if he could support them. With that statement, the reporter was able to isolate the one view of Constance Xinos that humanity could agree with.
For the full story, click here.
JT:
Speaking for Perry, I can say we both resent your entangling his sterling name with this rapscallion, Xinos (rhymes with “penis”). As the great advocate once said:
Calling Xinos a jerk or the like is allowing an assumption of at least a tiny amount of humanity for him. He’s lacking any sign of it except in his decision not to reproduce. Good decision there, because he would be the worst parent one could imagine. Anyone so proud of being a bully has said all that needs to be said about his quality as a person.
Look on the bright side folks. At least the guy hasn’t reproduced!
AY,
The Illinois Supreme Court is in control of the Attorney Registration and Discipline. I would guess that this character is retired. At least I hope he is no longer practicing law.
{Xinos} … told the board that it had to be tough (like him presumably) and “stop indulging people in their hobbies” and “their little, personal, private wants.”
Like literacy and intellectual curiosity? Obviously, these are hobbies he does not indulge in himself or he would not be so quick to dismiss the value of libraries and librarians. At least he lives where voters have had the good sense not to vote him into office. Perhaps he’s hoping that a new, dumbed-down generation of voters will. Self-serving maybe?
that dude is a real bastid I tells ya …
this is very poorly written
It’s so illinelson!
Does Illinois have a Disciplinary Board? If he would treat a child this way, what has he done to his clients. This type of talk is reprehensible at best.
I bet this was the same type of law student that screamed at the circulation desk people when he couldn’t find what he was looking for and then was handed it and then ripped the pages out or hid them within the library so that others could not find the same material that he so desperately needed at the time.
More people should evaluate whether they are suitable parents.
Buddha,
My sentiments exactly–except I would have used a compound word in place of the term you used.
rafflaw,
My guess would be that Xinos DOES understand how important a library can be to a town. Can’t have kids and poor people and other citizens reading books and expanding their minds.
I think folks like Xinos take pride in their anti-intellectualism.
**********
You said: “From local elections all the way to national elections, these wingnuts are making their presence known.”
That’s for sure. In some communities, they’re out in force trying to ban certain children’s books/types of books from school and public libraries.
I’m sorry, but all I can think of is “What a prick!”
This guy is a real sweetheart. This is the mentality of the so-called conservative movement in this country. From local elections all the way to national elections, these wingnuts are making their presence known. As a former President of our town’s Friends of the Library, I really wonder if this guy actually understands how important a vibrant library is to a town. It has been over 20 years since I practiced law for a short time in Oak Brook and I am glad that I didn’t run into this guy while I was there. Oak Brook is known for its million dollar homes and polo fields and Butler National Country Club and if this Xinos character has his way, those wealthy people will have to go to a neighboring town to get a book. He should be ashamed of himself and he should not have any position of authority in any organization.