Ex-Joliet police officer charged last year with domestic battery

Joliet — A former Joliet police officer who resigned from the department about two weeks after he pleaded guilty to a traffic violation tied to a crash was arrested last fall on a domestic battery charge.

On Sept. 30, 2024, Joseph Robinson, 35, of Joliet, was arrested on charges of felony criminal trespass to a residence in Joliet, misdemeanor domestic battery of a woman and misdemeanor interfering with the woman’s reporting of domestic violence.

Robinson also faces charges of theft and criminal damage to property in a separate misdemeanor case filed on Nov. 12, 2024.

Robinson was arrested on the domestic battery charge almost seven months after he resigned from the police department, which was on March 4, 2024, according to Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.

In the latter case, prosecutors accused Robinson of grabbing a woman’s neck on Sept. 17, 2024, after he trespassed at her apartment.

In a court filing, prosecutors alleged Robinson told the woman, “Want to know what I learned at [Joliet Police Department?]? I can open locked doors with a phone charger.”

In 2023, Robinson was issued citations on charges of driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed in connection with a single-vehicle crash, court records show.

The DUI charge was dismissed because of “lack of probable cause,” and Robinson pleaded guilty to failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, court records show.

Will County Judge Marzell Richardson sentenced Robinson to three months of court supervision on Feb. 20, 2024.

After Robinson was arrested on the domestic battery charge on Sept. 30, Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak allowed Robinson pretrial release under the SAFE-T Act, court records show.

Robinson was placed on home confinement and electronic monitoring as a condition of release. Then Judge Art Smigielski removed those conditions on Nov. 6 at the request of Robinson’s attorney, Ted Hammel.

Smigielski also allowed Robinson to have only lawful contact with the alleged victim in the case.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office initially handled Robinson’s domestic battery case when it was first charged. His office filed a petition to keep Robinson in jail.

But that changed when a motion sealed from the public was filed on Sept. 30 to request the appointment of a special prosecutor, court records show.

Elward was once again appointed to prosecute Robinson.

The Herald-News learned Robinson was a former Joliet police officer facing charges after obtaining emails last Friday from Glasgow’s office in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

In a Jan. 2 email, Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Koch, chief of Glasgow’s felony division, told other prosecutors that Robinson is a former officer with at least two cases filed against him.

“Please make sure that if you have this former officer as a witness that you are notifying the defense of his pending cases,” Koch’s email said.

The incident that led to Robinson’s arrest on the domestic battery charge began about 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2024, when a police sergeant met with a woman who reported she was Robinson’s ex-girlfriend, according to a petition to deny his jail release from Assistant State’s Attorney Katie Rabenda.

The woman said she was at her apartment on Sept. 17, 2024, when her oldest child told her someone is “putting keys in our door and trying to open the door,” the petition alleged.

The woman discovered Robinson was trying to enter her apartment and she had to push him out of her apartment, Rabenda’s petition alleged.

Want to know what I learned at [Joliet Police Department?]? I can open locked doors with a phone charger.

—  What prosecutors alleged Joseph Robinson, 35, of Joliet, said after trespassing at a woman's apartment

Later on, Robinson entered the woman’s bedroom and climbed into her bed and she pushed him off, the petition alleged.

Robinson then clenched his hand into a fist and “cocked it back” as if he were going to punch the woman, Rabenda’s petition alleged.

Robinson then yelled, “[Expletive], I’ll beat your [expletive]!” the petition alleged.

The woman dialed 911 with her cellphone but Robinson placed his hands around her neck and used his right hand to cancel the 911 call, Rabenda’s petition alleged.

Robinson had a phone call with his mother and she told him to leave the apartment and he left, Rabenda’s petition alleged.