advertisement

Carpentersville man faces jail time for contempt of ‘kangaroo’ court

A 63-year-old Carpentersville man faces up to six months in jail and a $500 fine after being found guilty of contempt of court.

In court papers, Robert Sperlazzo had called for the arrest of a judge, cited the Magna Carta, and dubbed Kane County a “kangaroo court” after he was sued for false impersonation of a lawyer in early 2011 by the Kane County Bar Association.

A judge issued an injunction against Sperlazzo, who also refers to himself in court papers as “Robert Dale,” prompting a counter lawsuit and “judicial orders” in which he claimed the Kane County court had no authority over him, accusing another judge of conspiring against him and ordering his arrest.

His arguments dovetailed with a set of beliefs known as “sovereign citizen doctrine,” in which some believe that only common law — and not federal, state and local statutes — apply to them.

“(Sperlazzo) was advancing a subversive political ideology which is not one that the court should accept and one that the court did not accept,” Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Cullen said Monday. “That’s what this case was all about.”

A bench trial was held late last week and Judge Val Gunnarrson, who was brought in from Ogle County to hear the case because Sperlazzo sued so many judges in Kane, found Sperlazzo guilty of contempt of court from instances Jan. 4 and Jan. 26, 2012, according to court records.

“There were 30 different documents that the court found were contemptuous,” Cullen said. “It was outrageous stuff.”

An Oct. 30 sentencing has been set for Sperlazzo, who also was chairman of the Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration. If Sperlazzo is sentenced to jail, he can have his sentence cut in half for good behavior.

His attorney, Herbert Hill, did not return a phone message.

Sanctions possible in false attorney lawsuit

Oil rises to near $107 amid improving U.S. economy

False attorney dispute escalates for Carpentersville man

Carpentersville man in hot water for suing judges, insulting court

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.