Man released from jail in Will County juror harassment case

A man charged with harassing a juror in Will County has been released from jail after spending more than a month locked up on a charge not eligible for detainment under the SAFE-T Act.

Christopher Gunn, 41, of Bolingbrook, was in jail from March 6 until April 18 when Will County Judge Sarah Jones ordered his release from jail. Jones was supposed to deliver on March 15 her ruling on whether Gunn should stay in jail. She delayed the ruling as Gunn was segregated at the jail for alleged inmate rule violations.

In Jones’ April 18 ruling, she said the Illinois General Assembly did not make harassment of a juror an offense eligible for detention.

“The legislature did create grounds for detention available to [prosecutors] and in the instant case they cannot sustain their burden by clear and convincing evidence,” Jones said.

Jones said prosecutors conceded the alleged communication from Gunn conveyed no direct threat to the juror who found him guilty of minor traffic offenses.

Gunn’s alleged communication was: “Just so you know, I didn’t want you white [expletive] on my jury [expletive].”

Jones said prosecutors did not show any other instances of Gunn attempting to communicate with the juror. However, prosecutors urged Gunn’s detention as a “deterrence from other defendants engaging in the same conduct,” she said.

Prosecutors also wanted Gunn kept in jail because of the “potential damage to our system of criminal justice should this conduct go unchecked,” Jones said.

Jones said the prosecutors’ position that detaining Gunn is necessary to preserve the integrity of the jury system is not the “standard, nor a basis for detention, per the SAFE-T Act.”

“In no way does this ruling in any way diminish the serious nature of the allegation nor does it diminish the impact the alleged communication must have had on the juror,” Jones said.

As a condition of pretrial release, Jones ordered Gunn to report to pretrial services on a weekly basis and have no contact by any means with the alleged victim in the case.

Gunn must also refrain from posting about anything regarding his case on social media. He’s not allowed to access the internet unless it is for work-related purposes.

Jones ordered Gunn to submit to drug testing on each court date as well.

“Failure to comply with these conditions and the conditions on the release order may result in sanctions against [Gunn],” Jones’ court order said.