May 11, 2025
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‘Accountability Angel,’ brother could face up to a year in jail after charges filed in La Salle County

Duo charged after incident with La Salle County court security

By Tom Collins
A screen shot of a 3 minute, 29 second video posted Monday on YouTube by Angel M. Farmer, under the heading "the Accountability Angel."

A screen shot of a 3 minute, 29 second video posted Monday on YouTube by Angel M. Farmer, under the heading "the Accountability Angel." (Provided)

A Peru woman was charged Wednesday with three counts of misdemeanor battery, and both she and her brother were charged with misdemeanor obstruction, after a Monday melee that injured a court security officer.

Angel Farmer, 29, of Peru, and Jacob Farmer, 28, of Morris, could face up to a year in La Salle County Jail if convicted of their respective charges. The confrontation was filmed and broadcasted on Angel’s YouTube channel.

Both are scheduled to appear Monday, April 12, before Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr.

According to the updated filings, Angel Farmer allegedly knowingly made physical contact with and forcibly pushed against Jim Knoblauch, whose wrist was injured in the incident. Knoblauch’s right hand still was bandaged as of Thursday.

Two additional counts of battery against Angel Farmer alleged that she made physical contact of “an insulting and provoking nature” with Knoblauch and that she made contact with Kurt Pastirik, another court security officer.

Angel and Jacob Farmer both are charged with obstructing a peace officer. In Jacob Farmer’s count, prosecutors allege he refused “a lawful order to step back from an ongoing struggle” while Angel Farmer was taken into custody.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Todd Martin said Thursday he was unable to comment on whether he will pursue jail sentences if the two are convicted.

In previous interviews, Angel Farmer alleged that court security violated her civil rights and unlawfully restrained her. Jacob Farmer said this and other events showed that La Salle County authorities engaged in a pattern of denying citizens their civil rights.

Sheriff Tom Templeton stated previously that additional action is under review. He said he’s reached out to the Illinois Sheriff’s Association to see which other agencies had been subject to the Farmers’ video-recorded “audits” – their term for public access compliance checks – and see whether additional charges are warranted.

Angel Farmer posts videos recorded from her cellphone on a YouTube page, referring to herself as the Accountability Angel. With the camera on from her phone, she enters public buildings to ascertain security features, collect Freedom of Information Act forms and generally assess public access. Her footage has been uploaded to YouTube under the channel name “Accountability Angel.” Videos still on file show “audits” in Putnam, Bureau, Whiteside, Lee, Sangamon and Whiteside counties.