A man angry that Lake Superior Court Judge Gina Jones rejected his plea deal for stalking and shooting a woman in the head lashed out at the judge and the courtroom bailiff in a profanity-laced tirade on Tuesday afternoon in a Crown Point courtroom.
For his actions, Devontae Harris, 26, was charged with three counts of intimidation, a Level 5 felony, and the judge has filed a motion to move his case to another courtroom.
Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Harris had a scheduled hearing on whether Jones would accept Harris’ plea deal in an attempted murder case, according to the probable cause affidavit. Harris was accused of stalking and battering a Hammond woman who had a protective order against him before he shot her 4-5 times in November 2022.
When Jones announced that she was rejecting the plea, she said, “I’m going to allow you to have your little anger moment and temper tantrum right now.”
Harris proceeded to call the judge multiple expletives and indicated that he was a member of the Latin Kings.
“(Expletive), you think you know about (stuff), I done killed (people),” Harris said, according to the court transcript. “I got bodies under my belt, (expletive). Go solve them.”
The tirade continued with Harris asking the judge to give him life in prison.
Jones replied, “(Harris) keeps, going and so now I’m assuming he has no idea of his inability to be quiet and his disrespect to the Court and this officer …”
Harris told the bailiff, “I’m ready to throw a chair at this (judge), and the bailiff intervened with, “No, you’re not going to do that.” The judge responded, “Well, I really don’t take kindly to threats either — .”
Harris then accused her of only giving long prison sentences to Black defendants.
Jones said, “My ability to stay calm is getting (a) little bit difficult. Mr. Bailiff, I think you ought to make sure I can get out of here before — I lose any more of my patience.”
Harris then asked the judge to perform a sex act on him, which resulted in a second direct contempt charge.
As a result of the contempt violations, Jones added 210 days to Harris’ jail term.
Harris’ attorney John Cantrell apologized for his client’s actions. He indicated Harris had complained about jail accommodations, asking to be transferred to a mental hospital because they would have his medication.
Jones didn’t return a call for comment Friday, but Cantrell said Jones rejected a plea deal of four years in prison and two on probation as ”too lenient.” She initially gave Harris 180 days for attempting to contact the victim, he said; a second contempt charge, however, was dismissed.
Harris then attempted to contact the victim a third time — allegedly using one of the phones former Lake Couty Corrections officer John Hoch smuggled into the jail, Cantrell said, though those phones are currently in FBI custody for examination — so Jones tacked on the third contempt charge. In all, Harris received an extra 390 days, or 13 months.
“The judge gave him the maximum amount she could without having to take him to trial,” Cantrell said. “And now he has all these new charges.”
Cantrell said he expects Harris will be assigned a special prosecutor in the coming weeks. Harris’ case has been transferred to Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas’ courtroom, with his jury trial scheduled for Nov. 4.
Michelle L. Quinn and Meredith Colias-Pete contributed.
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