Two Cook County sheriff's deputies spent between 30 and 45 minutes behind bars this week after Judge John Lyke held them in criminal contempt during a dispute over a handcuffed murder suspect at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th and California. The deputies were stripped of their badges and protective gear before being made to apologize to the court under threat of jail, according to the Teamsters union representing them.
The union representing the deputies, Teamsters Local 700, identified the two as Samuel Estrada Perez and Jarrett Kelley, and said the confrontation began when Lyke ordered them to immediately remove handcuffs from a defendant classified internally as high-risk movement, according to CWB Chicago. Sheriff's Office policy requires supervisor sign-off before restraints come off a high-risk detainee, and when the deputies tried to call their supervisor rather than comply immediately, Lyke placed them in contempt, the outlet reported. Separately, as reported by CBS Chicago, the deputies had refused to let the man, who is charged with murder, hug family members in the courtroom, saying they were not aware that Lyke allows brief hugs between defendants and their families.
Union Demands Apology and Threatens Ethics Complaint
Teamsters Local 700 President Ramon Williams publicly condemned the judge's actions as an “outrageous abuse of the court's authority,” per the same account, demanding a formal apology to the deputies and a reprimand from Chief Judge Charles Beach. The union is also considering filing a formal complaint against Lyke with the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, the independent body that investigates conduct complaints against circuit judges. Under Illinois law, that board can file formal charges before the Illinois Courts Commission, which can reprimand, suspend, or remove a judge from office, according to Legal Newsline.
The deputies ultimately apologized to the court before being released, CBS Chicago reported. Cook County Sheriff's Office leadership said this was not the first time Lyke has threatened to jail its staff for doing their jobs, and criticized the judge's treatment of sheriff's personnel as disrespectful and inappropriate, per the outlet's reporting.
Court Leadership Responds
Cook County Circuit Court leadership reviewed the September 9 incident and discussed it with Sheriff's Office leadership, aiming to ensure a clear understanding of applicable procedures and responsibilities going forward, according to CBS Chicago. Chief Judge Beach said the court values its longstanding partnership with the Cook County Sheriff's Office, and he recognized the distinct roles of sheriff's personnel in maintaining courthouse safety and of judges in maintaining order in their own courtrooms, per the same report.
Illinois circuit judges hold inherent summary power to cite people for direct criminal contempt without a formal evidentiary hearing when disruptions occur in their presence, with penalties for minor direct contempt capped at six months in jail, a $500 fine, or both, according to O'Flaherty Law. The incident involved a detainee classified as high-risk movement. Hoodline has previously reported on the Leighton courthouse and sheriff's personnel.
Judge's Rulings Already Under Scrutiny
Lyke has faced intense public scrutiny since April 25, when Alphonso Talley, a repeat violent felon whom Lyke had released on electronic monitoring, was taken to Swedish Hospital for a CT scan, where a shooting occurred, according to Legal Newsline. Talley was later charged in Bartholomew's killing, CBS Chicago reported.
Since the SAFE-T Act eliminated cash bail statewide in September 2023, the law has shifted the burden of pretrial-release decisions onto judges, according to the 40th Ward of Chicago. That shift has prompted political criticism of the law and questions about Lyke's release decision.
The cited Chicago-Kent College of Law material does not detail Lyke's educational background, military service, appointment history, or prior courtroom assignments.
