Jailed Man Sues Will County Judge, Says She is 'Disturbing and Out of Control'

An ex-convict back in the Will County jail on theft and other charges sued a Will County judge he accused of abuse and harassment, and of yelling at him to shut up.

Donald Hudgens, 42, filed his lawsuit against Judge Sarah Jones in Will County court.

Hudgens is battling five different theft cases, a charge of aggravated battery to a police officer and an alleged parole violation.

The Rockdale man was released from prison in May. He did time for burglary, forgery, aggravated battery, escape, and the misuse of a credit card.

In his lawsuit, Hudgens claims Judge Jones “deliberately intimidated and attempted to provoke (him) for his lawful attempts to ask the judge a legal question about drug court.”

Jones “became very verbally argumentative with” Hudgens, “yelling at him with her person (sic) comments towards (him) as to why she would not allow or agree with (him) receiving a drug court sentence,” the suit said.

Jones’ “conduct … amounts to harassment and is mentally damaging to” Hudgens, according to the lawsuit, which said the judge “yelled at (him) to shut up … in an attempt to embarrass (him) before the court with the intent to intimidate” him.

And Hudgens is not the only one getting treated this way by Jones, according to the lawsuit. She “has a long history of verbal abusive conduct against (Hudgens) and others that comes (sic) before her in her courtroom, and (Jones) has become very prejudice (sic) against” him, the suit said.

Hudgens said Jones’ “conduct is highly disturbing and out of control” and she “has a problem with what seems to be just about everyone that comes before her in her courtroom.”

Last year, another man charged with stealing penned a scathing affidavit accusing Judge Jones of giving him her “death stare.”

“Judge Jones continuously gives (Me) her death stare,” John Norris, 49, wrote in an affidavit that said the judge is “Filled with loathing hatred and spite.”

“If looks could kill, Judge Jones would be charged with the brutal heinous murder of (Norris),” the affidavit said.

A jury found Norris not guilty of felony retail theft in October but Jones held him in contempt of court and gave him two days in jail for “engaging in an
inappropriate outburst in the courtroom,” according to court records.

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