Courtroom struggle leads to more charges for S. Elgin man

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – A South Elgin man who refused to approach the bench during a court hearing this week injured security officers as they struggled to arrest him on the judge's orders, according to a Kane County Sheriff's Office report.

According to online Kane County court records, Scott T. Hochstetter was due before Associate Judge T. Clint Hull at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday for a 2012 case in which Hochstetter is accused of producing marijuana plants.

Hull asked Hochstetter to approach the bench, but the 32-year-old reportedly refused to identify himself and did not come forward.

When the judge – who knew Hochstetter – verbally confronted him, Hochstetter "stood up and began to yell that he was not Scott Hochstetter, that he had constitutional rights to a jury trial and that he could not be touched," police reported.

Despite repeated orders to sit and be quiet or leave, Hochstetter reportedly continued to stand and cause a disturbance – even after Hull threatened him with criminal contempt of court.

The court security officer radioed for backup, police said. Hull asked the officers to place Hochstetter under arrest, but Hochstetter was uncooperative, police reported.

Because of his continued resistance, security officers reportedly wrestled Hochstetter to the ground. Hochstetter, however, stiffened his arms and struggled against the handcuffing procedure, police reported.

Police said Hochstetter injured three officers in the struggle.

He was charged with three counts each of aggravated battery and aggravated resisting arrest – one count for each of the injured security personnel, police said.

Late Friday afternoon, online sheriff's records indicated Hochstetter was being held in jail on $100,000 bond.