(Editor's note: This story has been updated. An earlier version inccorectly identified pro se plaintiff Patrick Ferrari, who had been detained by authorities an "inmate." The Record regrets the reporting error).
Madison County Associate Judge Tom Chapman denied a pro se plaintiff's request to reconsider consolidating his lawsuits against Glen Carbon and several Madison County officials after he argued he should be granted three separate judges to hear the cases individually.
Plaintiff Patrick Ferrari filed a motion on March 12 asking Madison County Chief Judge Bill Mudge to reconsider his order consolidating Ferrari’s three separate lawsuits. The cases were consolidated on March 3 and assigned to Chapman.
Ferrari requested the cases be heard separately “under three separate judges on three different dates.”
“All three of these cases are extremely difficult charges of Supreme Court, Constitutional, and Illinois State violations of the law. I am not a lawyer. I am a single citizen who has had my legal and inalienable rights violated by corrupt individuals.
“All three cases are different, with unrelated charges. Witnesses to be summoned for all three cases are different and unrelated groups. I am an individual non-lawyer undertaking three very difficult but necessary lawsuits and I do not have a staff of lawyers and paralegals assisting me. I am only able to handle one case at a time as filed,” Ferrari wrote.
On March 24, Chapman denied Ferrari’s motion to reconsider consolidation.
Ferrari also filed a motion for leave to rename the defendants. He seeks to rename former assistant state’s attorney Crystal Uhe as a defendant, instead simply naming “State’s Attorney, Madison County” as a defendant.
Chapman granted his motion for leave to amend the complaint within 30 days. He reiterated that Ferrari’s amended complaint should show the defendants named in separate counts in a single complaint.
Ferrari filed the complaints in January and February against Madison County Associate Judge Philip Alfeld, former Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe, Madison County Sheriff John Lakin, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Village of Glen Carbon, Glen Carbon Police Chief Todd Link, Village Administrator Jamie Bowden, Village Attorney James Schrempf, Administrative Assistant Melissa Millard, Utility Supervisor John Leezy and Glen Carbon Mayor Robert Jackstadt.
Ferrari claims he initially went to Village Hall in Glen Carbon with his wife to have his water turned back on. He alleges the village turned his water off while his family was out of town dealing with a death in the family. He claims he was charged a $100 “deposit” to turn it back on and was told he would only receive it back if he moved.
He allegedly responded, “That is not a deposit! That is stealing! Your ordinance must me (sic) illegal or unconstitutional. You’re just thieves!.”
Ferrari claims no crime was committed, no threats were made, and no one was assaulted. He allegedly paid the fee and left.
Following the incident, Ferrari claims that whenever he visited the Village Hall to conduct business, the Glen Carbon police department was called and the clerks waited for them to arrive before assisting or talking to him. After several visits where the police were called “for no reason,” he contacted Link, Bowden and Jackstadt to request a meeting to resolve the issue.
In response, he claims he received a letter in June 2019 stating that he engaged in discourteous and disruptive behavior, placing the clerks in fear. The letter threatened criminal trespass and disorderly conduct charges if he did not report himself to the police prior to going to the Village Hall.
Then in September 2019, Ferrari claims he went to the public works building to discuss a water problem and Leezy met him outside to talk. Ferrari claims he remained in the parking lot and did not enter the building. Leezy allegedly said he would not help, so Ferrari left.
The plaintiff claims Leezy then contacted police and a warrant for his arrest for criminal trespass was filed. Shortly after, four officers allegedly came to Ferrari’s door. They told him about the warrant but did not arrest him.
Ferrari alleges that when he was stopped by the police station ten days later to inquire about the status of the warrant, he was told he was under arrest. He was allegedly fined $2,500 and was told he could post ten percent and go home or spend the weekend in jail. His sister paid $250, and he left.
Then on Jan. 15, 2020, Ferrari went to Village Hall to deliver a legal motion he filed in court earlier that day. He claims another warrant was filed. He alleges that to be in compliance with the law, he had to hand deliver a copy of the motion to the Glen Carbon Village. He was allegedly arrested three weeks later on Feb. 4, 2020.
Ferrari claims he was brought before Alfeld and Uhe or what he alleges was an unethical and illegal hearing. Alfeld set a $3,000 bond. Ferrari claims the cap was $100.
He alleges that while in custody, he was shackled and handcuffed, forced into a holding cell, and had to stand on the cold concrete floor without shoes. He was later placed in another cell with 23 other prisoners, all of whom allegedly had shoes.
Ferrari seeks a total of $7,409,640 from the defendants. Specifically, he seeks $900,000 from Alfeld and Uhe. He seeks $1.4 million from Lakin and the Sheriff’s Department. He seeks $1,109,640 from the Glen Carbon defendants.
He seeks damages for the “unlawful and illegal arrest and incarceration,” alleged violations of his Constitutional rights, the denial of his liberties and freedoms of commerce, alleged “ongoing years” of harassments and malicious prosecutions, and “hundreds of hours of legal preparation and the time taken away from family.”
Ferrari also named Barbara Ferrari as a second plaintiff, but made no allegations regarding her.
Madison County Circuit Court case numbers 21-L-109, 157, and 158