No entry, no trial? Mendota man flagged as at-risk, couldn’t appear for pre-trial

A Mendota man remains set for trial Monday, but he wasn’t standing before the bench to hear that.

Court security flagged him as at-risk for COVID-19 and wouldn’t let him in.

Attorneys now are watching the case of 32-year-old James R. Grissom, and not because the facts of his case are particularly notable – he’s charged with retail theft – but because he could be the first in La Salle County to have his felony trial postponed because he couldn’t get past infection controls at the door.

Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia presided over a short hearing held Thursday after Grissom was turned away. Raccuglia simply issued a “dates-stand” order, meaning Grissom still is scheduled to appear Monday – not that Raccuglia expects him to be there.

“If he was red-carded today,” the judge shrugged, “I don’t see how he can be ready for Monday.”

Assistant La Salle County State’s Attorney Jeremiah Adams said in open court the state is told only whether someone was turned away, meaning he doesn’t know why Grissom was flagged.

Actually, Grissom didn’t know, either.

Grissom was reached by telephone Thursday and said a court security officer took his temperature and then directed him outside the courthouse, but without telling him the reading.

Grissom wasn’t entirely surprised. He said he’s awaiting COVID-19 test results after being in contact with other exposed persons.

Grissom will have to wait until Monday to find out what Raccuglia and the lawyers will do about his pending case. Until then, courthouse personnel said this is shaping up to be the first La Salle County felony trial scuttled because a defendant was barred from entry on the cusp of trial.

On the other hand, Grissom would simply join a growing list of defendants whose cases were sidelined because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Most suspects agreed to have their trials postponed until autumn – lawyers have been wary of picking from a pool of masked jurors – and Raccuglia exercised her authority to supersede at least one defendant’s speedy trial rights.