‘Accountability Angel’ Farmer gets 6 weekends in jail sentence

A Peru woman, who conducts video-recorded public access checks under the title of “Accountability Angel,” was sentenced Thursday to six weekends in La Salle County Jail for tussling with court security officers.

In March 2021, Angel M. Farmer, 31, was attempting to record inside the La Salle County courthouse during COVID-19 restrictions when a fracas ensued.

The people at the courthouse don’t deserve what was meted out to them.

—  Joe Navarro, La Salle County state's attorney

Farmer was convicted June 7 following a short jury trial. Jurors convicted her of two counts of misdemeanor battery and one count of obstructing a peace officer – but acquitted her on one battery count – for her role in the disruption.

When offered a chance to speak at her Thursday sentencing in La Salle County Circuit Court, Farmer said she provides a valuable public service.

“I don’t run around with a camera trying to cause problems,” she said, adding later, “I do not run around bullying public employees.”

But after first denying Farmer’s motion for dismissal of charges, Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. told Farmer her constitutional rights are “not unfettered” and court security were more patient and restrained than she had portrayed.

“The swearing in that video was enough to get her booted from the building,” Ryan said of the taped confrontation played aloud Thursday.

The judge then sentenced Farmer to two years of conditional discharge, a non-reporting form of probation, plus an anger management evaluation, and fines and costs. She reports for her first weekend in mid-August.

Ryan also tacked on a condition the State’s Attorney’s Office approved of. Farmer may not, during her two years of conditional discharge, enter the courthouse without making prior arrangements.

“There comes a time when you forfeit certain rights,” Ryan said. “You can’t just walk in and do what she has done.”

La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro expressed his appreciation and further noted Farmer can access online forms for any legal needs she has.

“The people at the courthouse don’t deserve what was meted out to them,” Navarro said. “We’re very pleased with that outcome.”

Defense attorney Wayne Slaughter argued against jail, pointing out Farmer’s background and added she is a single mother of two minor children, one of whom has a serious medical condition.

Slaughter also pointed out even if one disagrees with her approach – “I don’t know if that makes her a hero or not” – her conduct was “not illegal” and within the scope of her personal freedoms.

“Now, I don’t know about these ‘First Amendment audits,’” Slaughter said. “What I do know is that as a citizen she has the right to hold public officials accountable and to publish information about public officials who aren’t doing their job.”

But Assistant La Salle County State’s Attorney Kelley Porter asked for a lengthier sentence of 100 days, portraying Farmer as a provocateur who continually harassed court staff even after her arrest and with “not even a scintilla of remorse.” Porter said Farmer smiled and nodded throughout the video played Thursday in open court.

“She’s proud of that video,” Porter said, calling Farmer “likely to re-offend.”

“The victims in this case are our first line of defense,” Porter said. “(She) made a mockery of their careers on multiple occasions. She has made their jobs pure misery.”