A judge decided a Joliet City Council member can continue to stay on the council as a Will County case challenging his qualifications to hold elected office heads to trial in March.

On Tuesday, Will County Judge Jennifer Lynch found the testimony of Juan Moreno credible enough to overcome a request from Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office to temporarily bar him from holding a seat on the Joliet City Council.

Moreno was elected to the city council on April 1.

On Sept. 16, Glasgow’s office filed a lawsuit against Moreno that claims he did not reside within Joliet for a year before the election and he filed a false statement of candidacy regarding that qualification.

The case against Moreno is expected go to trial in the second week of March.

A status hearing has been set in early January regarding a motion from Moreno’s attorneys requesting a summary judgement ruling that could end the case before trial.

Lynch’s decision followed hours of testimony on Monday from Moreno, his fiancée, Jessica Sanchez, and his former landlord, Lisette Aguilera.

On Tuesday, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Pyles said he knew he was asking for a “big lift” from Lynch to bar Moreno from sitting on the council before trial.

But Pyles said Glasgow’s office believes they will win their case against Moreno, who should not be allowed to cast votes on city matters such as million-dollar contracts.

Pyles said he didn’t think Moreno is a “bad guy” and he knows Glasgow’s office has been criticized over the lawsuit. Yet their office has an obligation to hold elected officials accountable, he said.

If an elected official’s statement of candidacy is false, then the election is meaningless, Pyles said.

Pyles said if Moreno were to provide him proof that he lived in the city within the required time frame, then he would drop the case immediately.

Moreno’s attorney, Frank Andreano, said a “complicated life” should not bar someone from public office.

Moreno testified he and Sanchez were having a rough patch in their relationship in 2022 and he moved out of their residence on Baskin Drive, which is not within city limits.

Moreno testified in 2022, he lived in a rented room at a residence on Jonathan Simpson Drive, which is within city boundaries.

Andreano said Moreno’s testimony established his physical presence at the Joliet residence.

“To take him out at this point is not factually warranted,” Andreano told Lynch.

Pyles said he did not find Moreno’s testimony credible and there were inconsistencies regarding his presence at Jonathan Simpson Drive.

During Monday’s court hearing, Pyles repeatedly questioned Sanchez’s work history listed on social media, which claimed she had worked for Moreno’s trucking business during 2022.

The business was also registered at the Baskin Drive address, where Moreno had been living when he created the corporation.

Moreno and Sanchez testified the dates on the employment history may have been inaccurate, as Moreno said he shut down the business in late 2022, though some government records had dates going into early 2023.

Several of Pyles’ lines of questioning on Monday were objected to and shut down by Lynch, including the supposition that the couple couldn’t have been having relationship troubles in 2022 because their daughter was born late that year.

Pyles argued it didn’t matter to Moreno whether he lived in Joliet until August 2024, when he decided to run for office.

Pyles said the evidence showing Moreno was still living outside Joliet until he decided to run for office includes his driver’s license, his vehicle registration, his voter registration, the location of his furniture, his mail and a traffic ticket.

Pyles said the voter registration is a “very significant piece” of evidence.

The lawsuit against Moreno said he cast a ballot in March 2024 while a resident of Baskin Drive.

“When you take a ballot, you are certifying you are a resident of that precinct,” Pyles said.