Contempt charge against daughter of former Geneva doctor convicted of 2012 rape
Kane County prosecutors have filed contempt of court charges against the daughter of a former Geneva doctor convicted this week of a sexual assault in his St. Charles home in November 2012.
Prosecutors argue Alesha J. Lewis, 26, committed indirect criminal contempt of court by making gestures visible to the jury during testimony of her father, Mark G. Lewis, on Thursday, and that she confronted the lead prosecutor in the hallway, saying "you sure look" nervous.
According to the affidavit, Alesha Lewis was making "obvious nodding gestures" during the testimony of her dad, now 60, in which he claimed a then 26-year-old guest at a party at his house was flirting with him throughout the night and the two ended up having consensual sex.
The woman testified on Tuesday that at the end of the night, it was only her, Mark Lewis and his longtime girlfriend. The woman said "everything just want blank" after he gave her a Maker's Mark and Pepsi around midnight.
The woman testified she woke up about 4:30 a.m. the next day on the floor of a bedroom, naked from the waist down. Lewis was next to her with his shirt off.
The woman testified she had no memory of what happened after the whiskey drink, never consented to sex with Lewis and felt pain the next day, eventually going to a hospital for a "rape kit." Lewis' DNA also matched semen recovered from the woman's body.
Jurors rejected Mark Lewis' story and deliberated less than an hour before convicting him of criminal sexual assault. But the jury found him not guilty of the most severe charge of aggravated criminal sexual assault.
"Mark Lewis is a disgusting predator who used his position and education to prey on this woman. I'm proud of her for the courage she showed in coming to court to face her attacker and tell her story," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said Friday.
"Sexual assault is a violent crime and I'm pleased that we have been able to give her a measure of justice."
According to the affidavit, Alesha Lewis approached First Assistant State's Attorney Greg Sams in the hallway Thursday and asked if he was nervous. Sams replied he never gets nervous and she replied "You sure look it," before continuing to stare at Sams for "several moments before moving forward," according to the affidavit.
On Tuesday, Kane County Judge John Barsanti admonished Alesha Lewis after an incident in the hallway during a break in testimony from the victim.
Alesha Lewis had been seated dead center in the gallery, wearing a black dress and glaring at the victim during testimony. During the recess, she admitted to Barsanti that she went up to the victim and "I lingered for a couple seconds to stare at her." The victim could be heard crying in the hallway after the encounter.
Barsanti warned Alesha not to interact with any witnesses or people in the case and did not remove her from the courtroom at the time,
"This is very, very close to being intimidation of a witness, which is a crime," Barsanti told her. "You have no right to try and influence how the witness testifies."
Mark Lewis faces four to 15 years in prison; he is next due in court on Oct. 13 to set a sentencing date.
Alesha Lewis has not been arrested, but is due back before Barsanti on Wednesday.