March 09, 2025
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Attorney in Harris case held in contempt

Failed to show up on time for client’s case in DuPage County

By Jeff Bonty
Xandria Harris and her attorney, Cierra Norris, address Kankakee County Circuit Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott in court on Sept. 23, 2024, at the Kankakee County Courthouse.

Xandria Harris and her attorney, Cierra Norris, address Kankakee County Circuit Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott in court on Sept. 23, 2024, at the Kankakee County Courthouse. (Daily Journal/Tiffany Blanchette)

WHEATON — Cierra Norris, the attorney for Xandria Harris, served two days in jail after she was held in minor indirect criminal contempt of court in DuPage County earlier this week.

Harris is charged with first-degree murder of Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic and attempted murder of now retired Bradley Sgt. Tyler Bailey in December 2021.

She is accused of being with her boyfriend, Darius Sullivan, when he shot the two officers in a Bradley hotel. They were called to check on bark dogs in a vehicle parked in the hotel lot.

Sullivan is serving a natural life sentence for killing Rittmanic and then 80 years for attempted murder of Bailey.

Failure to appear

According to court documents, Norris failed to show up for her client’s trial at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Judge Margaret M. O’Connell, the trial judge, ordered Norris to appear at 1 p.m. the same day.

When she failed to show up by 1:15 p.m., the petition to hold Norris in indirect contempt of court was filed by DuPage County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicole Wilkes-English.

Norris was ordered to appear at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. She did appear and waived her right to counsel and discovery after she had been served the petition to adjudication for indirect criminal contempt of court, court documents said.

The trial date was set during a court appearance for both sides on Oct. 28, 2024, the court order said.

“After a hearing, the Court finds that Miss Norris’ conduct was willful and contemptuous. Her conduct interfered with the judicial process. Miss Norris’ actions constituted a minor action of indirect criminal contempt of court,” the court order read.

“AS SUCH, she is sentenced to five days in the DuPage County Jail, day for day to apply,” the court order said.

“Miss Norris has been read her appellate rights and understands same. Prior to sentencing she was offered to make a statement of allocution and did not.”

Judge O’Connell ordered Norris be taken into custody at that time to serve her sentence.

As of Friday afternoon, Norris was no longer listed as an inmate on the DuPage County Sheriff’s website.