Lake Zurich trustee charged with domestic battery allowed to return to home
A Lake County judge agreed on Friday to allow Lake Zurich Trustee Jim Beaudoin to return to the home he shares with his girlfriend, whom he is alleged to have choked during an argument, officials said.
Beaudoin, 47, is charged with two counts of domestic violence stemming from the Dec. 12 altercation at the home.
During a hearing last Wednesday, Beaudoin's defense attorney, Douglas Zeit, asked Judge Reginald C. Mathews to change the terms of Beaudoin's bail so he could return to the house. Mathews continued that hearing to Friday morning to give Assistant State's Attorney Kristian Nordby a chance to speak with the woman.
Lee Filas, the spokesman for the Lake County state's attorney's office, said Nordby objected to Beaudoin's being allowed to return to the home but Matthews allowed it. Matthews said Beaudoin was required not to be violent or harassing toward his girlfriend.
Police had been called to the home where Beaudoin and his girlfriend were arguing. Beaudoin had flipped her on her back and briefly choked her, Nordby said during the hearing last Wednesday conducted over Zoom, and the woman struck Beaudoin in the face while she was pinned.
Nordby said the police officer who arrested Beaudoin observed the woman had redness on her neck and back.
At that hearing, the woman said it was an isolated incident and asked that Beaudoin be allowed to return home.
"I don't even know what happened," she said during the hearing. "It never should have happened. Jim is a good person. I would really appreciate it if you would let him come home."
She said she had COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago and has been having some neurological problems, including blackouts and loss of memory, in the time since.
The charges against Beaudoin are misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail, if he's convicted.
He paid 10% of his $10,000 bail and was released from jail while the case is pending.
His term as village trustee is set to expire in the spring. He has not yet filed candidacy paperwork to seek another term in the April 6 election. Lake Zurich Mayor Thomas Poynton said last week that Beaudoin has not offered to resign from the board.