Indictment against former UMC chief dismissed by judge

A judge dismissed as "unconstitutionally vague" a 10-count indictment against former University Medical Center chief Lacy Thomas, who prosecutors alleged steered $10 million in no-work hospital contracts to his Chicago friends. District Judge Michael Villani on Thursday handed down the seven-page decision, which said the indictment "does nothing more than put Thomas on notice that he/UMC may have entered into an ill-conceived contract and that by entering into such a contract, his conduct is now deemed criminal in nature." Villani said that the indictment implied that any contract UMC or the county entered into that was more beneficial to a vendor should be considered criminal, something the judge would not accept. In his decision, Villani asked why the vendors weren't also charged if Thomas' actions were criminal.