Jury convicts 1 prison guard in inmate deaths, hung on 2nd

By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Jurors on Monday convicted an Illinois Department of Corrections officer for violating the civil rights of an inmate brutally beaten at a western Illinois prison in 2018, but could not reach a verdict against a superior.  Alex Banta, 30, of Quincy, was convicted after a four-week trial in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, obstruction of an investigation, falsification of documents and misleading conduct.Banta faces up to life in prison.Outside U.S. District Court, members of the eight-man, four-woman jury, while unanimous on Banta’s culpability, were split 9-3 on the involvement of co-defendant Lt. Todd Sheffler, 53, of Mendon. His attorney expects the government to re-try him.