Domestic battery charges refiled against Des Plaines cop

The McHenry County state's attorney's office has refiled domestic violence charges accusing Des Plaines police Sgt. Matthew Hicks of beating his wife.

Hicks, an 18-year department veteran, faces four misdemeanor counts of domestic battery claiming he struck his wife April 18 in their Huntley home and grabbed her by the hair.

The 46-year-old police officer also faces two counts of battery and a single county of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence stemming from the same altercation.

McHenry County Judge Gordon Graham dismissed charges against Hicks on Dec. 21 after denying prosecutors a second trial continuance because a witness — one of the officers who responded to the scene — was unavailable. Prosecutors refiled the case shortly after the judge's decision.

Assistant State's Attorney Robert Zalud would not comment further Thursday on the reinstated charges.

Des Plaines police initially suspended Hicks with pay after his arrest. In August, the three-member Des Plaines Police and Fire Commission suspended him without pay until it could decide on seven internal conduct charges levied against him: inability to act as a police officer, untruthfulness, insubordination, theft and official misconduct, domestic battery and official misconduct, interfering with the reporting of domestic violence and conduct unbecoming.

A hearing is set for 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 10 and 11, in the Des Plaines City Council chambers, 1420 Miner St. After hearing arguments from both sides, the commission will consider disciplinary action, including his firing.

A domestic battery conviction would make that a moot point because, under state law, anyone found guilty of that Class A misdemeanor is barred from possessing a firearm.

Hicks, who pleaded not guilty to the initial charges, is scheduled to be in court on the new case Jan. 18.