A Cook County judge had two sheriff’s deputies detained this week for refusing to unshackle a man facing murder charges so he could embrace his family — a move the deputies’ union described as “an outrageous abuse of the court’s authority.”
The incident happened Wednesday after Circuit Judge John F. Lyke Jr. invited the defendant’s relatives to step forward for a hug, according to a court transcript. When the deputies told him they needed to wait for a supervisor’s approval to remove the defendant’s handcuffs, Lyke snapped back.
“I’m giving you a direct order to step out the way,” Lyke told the deputies, according to the transcript.
“I’m taking directive from my sergeant,” one deputy replied.
“Take him into custody,” Lyke said. “Take him in the back. If I were you, I would stop talking.”
The two sheriff’s deputies were then placed into custody for contempt of court and stripped of their badges and protective equipment, according to their union, Teamsters Local 700. Lyke ordered them to apologize or face up to 90 days in jail, the union said.
They were both released after apologizing to the judge.
Sheriff’s office policy requires supervisor approval to remove handcuffs from detainees, like this defendant, who are labeled as “high risk,” according to the union.
“Punishing two deputies for doing exactly what they are trained and required to do is an outrageous abuse of the court’s authority,” Teamsters Local 700 president Ramon Williams said. “The Office of the Chief Judge needs to reprimand Judge Lyke, and Lyke owes these deputies an apology.”
The sheriff’s office said the move shows Lyke has “little concern for the challenges court deputies face in their efforts to protect the safety of the court, courtroom staff, defendants and members of the public who attend these proceedings.”
It’s not the first time Lyke has threatened to jail deputies for “doing their jobs,” according to the sheriff’s office. In February 2025, Lyke ordered deputies out of a jury room where a detainee was meeting with a lawyer and family members. The deputies told him they’d been ordered to stay in the room with the detainee.
Lyke replied that he “don’t give a damn” what the deputy’s “bosses told them to do,” according to an incident report. Lyke then threatened to escort the deputies to the back if they “didn’t step out of the damn jury room.”
“While the sheriff’s office understands that members of the judiciary have wide latitude in how they run their courtrooms, Judge Lyke’s disrespectful and inappropriate treatment of our staff is completely unacceptable,” the sheriff’s office said.
During Wednesday’s altercation, Lyke told the courtroom he allows contact visits from family — “just a brief hug.”
“I don’t care what they are charged with,” Lyke said. “They are still presumed innocent.”
He said courtroom officers usually let new deputies know about this practice.
The office of Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II said it has reviewed this week’s incident and discussed it with sheriff’s office leadership to “ensure a clear understanding of applicable procedures and responsibilities.”
Earlier this year, Lyke drew criticism for having placed Alphanso Talley, a convicted felon, on electronic monitoring before Talley allegedly killed Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew and wounded another cop at Swedish Hospital.
