SYCAMORE - DeKalb County State's Attorney Richard Schmack released a legal memo Friday defending the county board's decision to "stand at ease" in two groups to discuss electing their chairman Dec. 3.

Schmack, whose office represents the county board, said the incident was not an Open Meetings Act violation as the two informal groups were discussing political matters, not public business.

"During the 10-minute period when the County Board stood 'at ease,' the caucuses of the respective parties met separately, in full view of the public," Schmack wrote in the memo. "It seems obvious, viewed in the context of the meeting, that the caucuses were discussing a purely political matter, being whether to stand on the nominees that each party had offered for Board Chair, or effect a change in strategy."