Overview
- Two Cook County sheriff’s deputies were ordered detained and forced to apologize after they declined a judge’s command to remove handcuffs from a man charged with murder, a confrontation that took place on Wednesday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
- The deputies say they followed Cook County Sheriff’s Office policy that requires supervisor approval before removing restraints from inmates classified as “high risk movement.”
- The Cook County Sheriff’s Office publicly condemned the judge’s conduct and Teamsters Local 700 called for a reprimand while weighing a request to the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board.
- Chief Judge Charles Beach’s office said it reviewed the September 9 incident and discussed procedures with sheriff leadership to clarify roles and responsibilities for courtroom safety.
- The episode adds to prior tensions involving Judge John Lyke, including a 2025 dispute with deputies and criticism over his December decision to place Alphanso Talley on electronic monitoring before a later fatal shooting, and it could further erode trust between court staff and judges and spur policy or oversight changes.