Not Guilty Verdict In Joliet Official's Domestic Violence Case

JOLIET, IL - Wednesday was supposed to be the start of defendant Angel Contreras' jury trial in front of Judge Edward Burmila. By 2 p.m., Contreras walked out of the Will County Courthouse with a not-guilty verdict on his criminal charge of domestic battery. The verdict came as a result of a last-minute decision to ask for a bench trial in front of Judge Roger Rickmon.

On Wednesday morning, Burmila had a medical emergency involving one of his family members, court officials told Patch. Realizing that Rickmon would be the substitute judge, Contreras' defense lawyer, Patricia Kalkanis of The Tomczak Law Group, decided to change their legal strategy. Even though a jury had been selected on Tuesday afternoon, Kalkanis and her client chose to ask for a bench trial with Rickmon. Even though the jury was picked, it was notified on Wednesday morning that their civic duties were no longer deemed necessary.

The events of Wednesday in Courtroom 403 worked out for the defendant.

Contreras emerged from the courthouse with a not-guilty verdict.

"We charged the case in good faith and believe the laws support the prosecution of the case," Will County State's Attorney's Office spokesman Chuck Pelkie said Wednesday afternoon. "We will continue to put the safety of women above the rights of property, but we respect the judge's decision."

During a late afternoon interview at Tomczak Law Group, attorney Patty Kalkanis said she was pleased with how the case played out at trial. The prosecution's witnesses consisted of Contreras' former girlfriend of nine years, who alleged the domestic violence, and Joliet Police Officer Adam Stapleton, who took the report and interviewed the woman. As a result, the Joliet Police Department charged Contreras with domestic battery.

Kalkanis said that Contreras was within his legal right, as the judge noted, in trying to regain his cell phone back from his angry ex-girlfriend last August 3 after she had just gone into his car and discovered that he had a second secret cell phone and that it contained sexual explicit messages from other women. She brought the phone back into her house and refused to give it back to him, prompting the altercation to occur.

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"From the very beginning, we knew that the elements of a domestic battery were not even met in their case in chief and that's how the judge felt," Kalkanis told Joliet Patch.

"I have always been confident in Angel's case that we were going to win and that he never did anything wrong and that he was only trying to retrieve his property."

She also said that the trial testimony incorrectly characterized her client's actions after the estranged long-time girlfriend called 911. "He didn't flee," she insisted. "She wanted him to leave the property so he left."

Kalkanis said that Contreras and his ex-girlfriend of nine years have not spoken to each other since last August, and she expects it will stay that way.

"He never should have been charged," she said. "He never had the intent to harm or hurt her, which is necessary for a domestic battery."

Image of Angel Contreras via Joliet Patch files