A Rock Falls man was to stand trial this week on charges of one count of home invasion, which could have sent him to prison for 30 years; one count of criminal sexual assault; one count of aggravated domestic battery; and two counts of aggravated battery in connection with a 2021 home invasion in Rock Falls.

But instead of presiding over Daniel J. Yanes’s trial, Whiteside County Judge Hany Khoury, who was assigned to the case last week, heard arguments Monday from defense attorney James Mertes about why he believed the entire case should be dismissed.

[ Whiteside County judge to rule Tuesday whether home invasion case will proceed to trial Wednesday ]

When it was over, Khoury, at a hearing Tuesday morning, denied the motion to dismiss the case, but did accept a plea agreement presented by Whiteside County State’s Attorney Colleen Buckwalter in which Yanes pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery and all other charges were dropped.

Yanes was sentenced to 30 months of probation and will serve 180 days of periodic imprisonment that will allow him to work. He also was fined $5,000.

The deal was the same agreement that Whiteside County Judge James Heuerman rejected Dec. 11 after hearing the victim’s impact statement during a plea hearing, according to court documents.

Yanes, 48, was taken into custody on April 11, 2022, on charges of home invasion and criminal sexual assault in connection with an Illinois State Police investigation into an Oct. 1, 2021, incident in Rock Falls. He demanded a speedy trial and was released from jail after posting bond.

At issue in the weeks leading up to the trial were the defense’s claims that Yanes’s right to a speedy trial was violated because the trial date was pushed back for reasons not attributable to Yanes. Mertes also maintained Monday that Heuerman, whom he said initially indicated he would accept the agreement, should have recused himself after deciding to reject it Dec. 11, but instead went on to preside over and deny a motion to dismiss on Dec. 26 and set a Jan. 13 trial date.

Khoury was assigned to the case Jan. 9. He ruled Tuesday morning that the delays that pushed the trial date to Jan. 13 were attributable to the defendant and that his right to a speedy trial was not violated.

Khoury on Tuesday also heard an impact statement from the victim, in which she began detailing her relationship with Yanes beginning in 2019. Mertes objected to the nature of the statement, with Khoury then telling the victim that she had to keep her statement focused on the charge to which Yanes pleaded guilty.

The court recessed for 30 minutes to allow the victim to revamp her statement to comply with those parameters.

In her revised statement, the victim said Yanes is a narcissistic abuser, described the plea agreement as “disgraceful” and said those who were complicit in allowing the plea agreement would be to blame should Yanes go on to hurt another woman in the future.