Attorney appointed for Waukegan man accused of locking daughter in basement
The Waukegan man accused of locking his 10-year-old daughter in a basement because he claimed she was demonically possessed is no longer defending himself in court.
At a fitness hearing on Tuesday, Lake County Judge Christopher Stride said a court-appointed doctor deemed Randy Swopes unfit to stand trial. Based on that opinion, Stride appointed attorney Eric Rinehart to represent him. Rinehart, who announced his campaign for Lake County state's attorney last week, had previously served as advisory attorney to Swopes when Swopes was still able to defend himself.
In court Tuesday, Swopes called the fitness process a "charade." He said he answered the doctor's questions correctly and cannot understand why she would consider him unfit.
Rinehart asked for time to read the court-appointed doctor's 10-page report and speak with his client. Stride set a status hearing for 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Swopes is charged with felony unlawful restraint and two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment. He could be sentenced to a maximum three years in prison if found guilty of the felony charge.
In December, Swopes was deemed unfit to stand trial. The proceeding included testimony from a psychologist who said Swopes believed current and former United States presidents and other politicians sneaked into his house at night and sexually assaulted him and his family as they slept.
After the fitness trial, which lasted just one day, Swopes was transferred to a state mental health facility. After a month there, he was deemed mentally fit and returned to Lake County jail in January.
A second fitness trial is likely.
Swopes, 49, and his wife, Katherine, were charged July 17, 2018, with child endangerment and unlawful restraint for locking their daughter in the basement of their single-family house on the 200 block of Liberty Street, authorities said. Police officers discovered the girl was forced to live in the basement because the parents believed she was "possessed by a demon," police said.
Randy Swopes remains in Lake County jail on $750,000 bail, while his wife pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced to 30 months of probation and 12 months of periodic imprisonment as part of a plea deal approved by Rossetti. Under the agreement, Katherine Swopes must give truthful testimony against her husband should his case go to trial. She also is prohibited from having drugs or alcohol and may not have any contact with her husband or children.