Lake Co. courthouse disturbance sends 2 to jail

A disturbance that broke out inside and outside of a Lake County courtroom Wednesday resulted in two people being sent to jail.

Lake County Sheriff's Lt. John Lucas said Johnny C. Parker, 46, of Chicago, was charged with battery for punching another man in the face, while Shekita Parker, 26, was found in contempt of court for shouting obscenities in a courtroom.

The two were part of a group of about 20 people who had gathered for a scheduled court appearance for Johnny Parker, 28, whose 2007 murder conviction was recently reversed by the appellate court.

Lucas said the elder Johnny Parker began an argument with a 25-year-old man outside the courtroom of Circuit Judge Daniel Shanes around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Deputy Steven Newton left Shanes' courtroom in response to the ruckus, Lucas said, and saw Parker punch the 25-year-old once in the face. As that was happening, Shekita Parker, who was sitting inside Shanes' courtroom, jumped up from her seat and began shouting obscenities, reports said.

She left the courtroom, Lucas said, but deputies were able to locate her inside the courthouse and bought her back to face Shanes.

Shanes found her in contempt and sentenced her to 10 days in jail, while the elder Johnny Parker was ordered to appear in court July 20 to answer to the misdemeanor charge of battery.

The defendant Parker never appeared in the courtroom Wednesday. He and his co-defendant in the 2007 case, William Fillyaw, 33, are scheduled to appear in court July 7.