Attorney held briefly on contempt of court

A Cook County Assistant Public Defender spent time in the Rolling Meadows courthouse lockup Thursday after a Cook County judge ordered her held in contempt of court.

Judge Thomas P. Fecarotta later reversed his decision regarding attorney Natalie Fredrickson-Gardner, a 22-year veteran of the public defender’s office.

The parties involved declined to comment.

The contempt charges resulted from discussions regarding a case in which a client of the public defender’s office was arrested on charges of speeding, cannabis possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The client was ordered to complete a drug program approved by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. Prosecutors indicated the defendant did not complete that program. However, Gardner stated her client completed one “allegedly from a place that is approved by Cook County,” according to an official transcript of the proceedings.

Gardner said she was attempting to verify that with her client and prosectors outside the courtroom when Fecarotta called the case. When the case was later recalled, Gardner was not in the courtroom, the transcript shows. Fecarotta ordered a deputy to find her and then ordered her not to leave the courtroom saying, “If you do it again, I’m going to hold you in direct contempt of court.”

Gardner responded saying, “Judge, you’re not letting me do my job.”

When the case was recalled again, Fecarotta told Gardner not to address the court unless he told her to. She responded, “you don’t have to scream at me. Yes I understand,” the transcript showed. Fecarotta then ordered her held for 14 days in Cook County Jail.

Deputies took Gardner to a holding cell. A subsequent exchange between the judge and Gardner included Fecarotta detailing what he described as Gardner’s “disregard” and “disrespect” in interrupting and arguing with the court, the transcript said.

“I have never done anything in this court that was meant to be disrespectful,” she said.

She stated she left the room to speak with her client and prosecutors because they are not permitted to do so in the courtroom while other cases are being heard.

Fecarotta said he didn’t want to hold Gardner in contempt but did not want this to occur again.

“I can promise that I will do my utmost that it will not happen again,” Gardner said.

“OK. That’s good enough for me,” Fecarotta said.