Joliet man breaks jaw of ‘jailhouse lawyer’ charged with murder: cops

A man broke the jaw of a self-proclaimed “jailhouse lawyer” charged with the 2018 knife murder a woman at the former Fairview Homes in Joliet, police said.

Quentell Haynes, 37, of Joliet, was charged with the aggravated battery of Christopher Beale, 33, of Joliet on Tuesday at the Will County jail.

The inmates got into an argument in one of the day rooms at the jail, said Will County Deputy Chief Dan Jungles.

Beale turned his back on Haynes and Haynes lunged toward him, hitting him in the face with a closed fist, Jungles said. Beale’s jaw was broken and he was sent to two hospitals, Ascension Saint Joseph Medical Center and Loyola University Medical Center.

Both men were interviewed and Haynes basically said, “It is what it is,” Jungles said.

Beale said the argument was about Haynes approaching him to look over some court paperwork, Jungles said. Beale referred to himself as a “jailhouse lawyer.”

“[Haynes] asked him to look at the paperwork, he refused to do so,” Jungles said.

Haynes struck him when Beale turned his back and walked away, Jungles said.

Beale has been in jail since Oct. 1, 2018, after he was arrested and charged with the murder of Marcedes Flakes, 28, who was stabbed in the back outside a Fairview Homes residence, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

Fairview Homes, a 1960s era public housing development, was torn down in 2019. The area had been plagued by violence, inadequate investment, deterioration and infrastructure challenges.

Beale has been representing himself in his own murder case since July 14.

Haynes has been in jail since March 12. He was arrested in connection with an incident on March 11 where he fired multiple rounds into the air using a rifle and battered his girlfriend, according to Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.

After Haynes’ arrest, he was taken to the Joliet Police Department, where he “urinated on the floor and became aggressive towards officers, threatening to fight them and he refused to follow commands,” English said.

Haynes’ bond in jail was initially $200,000. As a result of the new charge, Judge Derek Ewanic boosted Haynes’ bond to $300,000.