Chicago, Ill. / Drew Peterson, charged with killing his third wife and accused in the disappearance of his fourth, has filed suit against JPMorgan Chase Bank (NYSE:JPM) claiming it illegally suspended his approximate quarter-million Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC.

The suit alleges that the line of credit was issued in 2005 but was arbitrarily suspended after Peterson's arrest in May, 2009 despite the fact he was an approved, qualified customer.

"Mr. Peterson is suing JPMorgan Chase to gain access to the money so he can defend himself against the first degree murder charge that he killed his late wife, Kathleen Savio, for which he is being held on a $20-million bond until trial," says Joel Brodsky, Peterson's lead criminal defense attorney.

Brodsky says Peterson has hired Walter Maksym, a nationally known, veteran attorney to file the suit against JPMorgan Chase Bank in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

“Everyone is entitled to use their property in order to maintain a defense against the might of the State, that we are taxed to sustain. Mr. Peterson should be able to use HIS OWN MONEY so that already overburdened and struggling taxpayers do not have to also pay for the enormous defense costs," says Maksym. "We will hold Chase, the bank that is sitting on billions of our hard earned 'bailout' tax money, for refusing to honor and reneging on their commitment for the benefit of us all.

"I decided to take this highly controversial case because of the critical issues involved that are of public importance and to stop Chase from getting away with unconscionable conduct.”

Joel Brodsky and Walter Maksym are available for interviews. Please use the contact information below.

Downloads: Drew Peterson v. JPMorgan Chase Complaint: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/PetersonvChaseCOMPLAINTEFILED10-26-09.pdf

About Joel Brodsky:
Joel A. Brodsky has more than 25 years of legal experience. He is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois, the Federal Courts for the Northern District of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Brodsky is also a member of the Federal Trial Bar. He has been given a ‘Very High’ rating in the areas of reliability, diligence, ethics, conduct, and other areas relating to professional responsibility by the nationally recognized Martindale-Hubble lawyers rating service.

About Walter Maksym:
Mr. Maksym has represented world famous clients and is the lawyer that super-lawyers, and judges, authors, actors, celebrities and entrepreneurs have sought out when they needed the best. A Law Review editor, the recipient of numerous academic scholarships and awards, and several law and other degrees, he has taught law, served in the Illinois Attorney General’s Special Prosecution Unit, as a Special State’s Attorney and as Judicial Counsel, and an assistant to Special White House Counsel to the President of the United States of America in connection with the United States Senate Select Committee Watergate Hearings. Mr. Maksym was an appointed Illinois Supreme Court Commissioner and served as Chairman of a panel of its Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission that conducted the unprecedented "Operation Greylord" judicial corruption investigation in Chicago, jointly with the Federal authorities, the largest in this state's, if not the nation's history, that led to the indictment of ninety-two people, including seventeen judges, forty-eight lawyers, ten deputy sheriffs, eight policemen, eight court officials, and a member of the Illinois Legislature. He maintains a selective State, Federal and National private civil and criminal trial and appellate practice, and obtained a record $18,645,000.00 judgment that drove a major savings and loan into insolvency. Admitted to the Illinois, Florida, California bars, the United States Supreme, numerous Federal Courts, and the Federal Trial Bar, Mr. Maksym is also a court qualified expert witness on ethical and legal responsibility issues. He is a sought-after speaker and expert on several subjects who has appeared before universities, organizations and on numerous TV, cable and radio shows.

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