People v. Bertelle

Defendant, Donald Bertelle, an assistant public defender, appeals from an order entered by the circuit court of Cook County which found him guilty of direct criminal contempt and imposed a $200 fine. On appeal, defendant contends'that because his comments were not calculated to embarrass or to obstruct the court or to derogate from the court’s authority and dignity, they did not constitute contempt of court. For the following reasons, we reverse the judgment of the circuit court.

The record indicates that the alleged contempt arose during the murder trial of Dennis Fox, who was represented by…