Xandria Harris was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for being in direct contempt of court, by Kankakee County Circuit Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott.

Harris was found guilty earlier this year of the offense during a bench trial before Bradshaw-Elliott.

“I don’t think anybody should refuse to testify once given immunity. I certainly want to deter it,” Bradshaw-Elliott said.

Harris was held in direct contempt of court during the murder trial last September of her co-defendant and boyfriend, Darius Sullivan.

Sullivan shot and killed Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic and seriously wounded now-retired Bradley Police Sgt. Tyler Bailey in December 2021.

Sullivan was convicted of murder, attempted murder and endangering the lives of his three children when he shot the two Bradley officers in December 2021.

Harris is facing the same charges. Her trial is set to start Feb. 23 and is expected to take three weeks.

The shooting occurred when officers answered a call at Comfort Inn about dogs being left in a vehicle for several hours. The vehicle was registered to Harris.

During Sullivan’s trial, Harris refused to answer questions in the case, although Bradshaw-Elliott ordered Harris to testify after permitting prosecutors to question her through use immunity.

Use immunity allows a defendant to testify without that testimony being used against them in their trial.

Harris refused to testify. She said she was exercising her Fifth Amendment right.

However, when granted use immunity, the person must testify or be held in contempt.

Harris’ attorney Cierra Norris argued her client refused to testify because she feared Sullivan would hurt her, their four children they have together or her family members.

Prior to attorney arguments Friday, Norris had the court play a 15 minute video.

Harris’ mother, Gloria Boyd, and sister, LeDeja Harris, said in the video Xandria had a good childhood, but things changed when she started dating Sullivan.

Her mother and sister described Sullivan as getting in trouble with police and physically and emotionally abusing Xandria.

Norris said there was no need for her client to testify for the prosecution.

That action was due to the graphic footage of the shooting from the body cams of the two officers.

“If anything, this case has done what Ms. Harris never had the strength to do so, and that separated her from her abuser. She should not have had to take that stand and face that abuser … They did not need her. All they needed was that video. That was made clear.”

Norris asked Bradshaw-Elliott to sentence Harris to time already served, which as of Friday was 1,414 days.

Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe argued Harris be sentenced to 15 years.

In Harris’ video, she said she felt she had lost her voice and never got it back after Sullivan started abusing her.

“I found that insulting. I’ll tell you who lost their voice. Sergeant Rittmanic,” Rowe said. “She not only lost it, but will never hear it again. Officer Bailey nearly lost his voice and his life.

“This court’s order granting her immunity actually gave Ms. Harris that voice that she thought she lost. … The defendant’s refusal to testify in this case was not born of fear. It was born of defiance.”