Frankfort Cop Cuffed & Jailed in Middle of Court Hearing For Domestic Battery Case

In a shocking twist, a Frankfort cop charged with beating his girlfriend in her Mokena bedroom was cuffed and taken to jail during a court appearance Wednesday.

Donald Walsh, 30 and already facing charges domestic battery and aggravated domestic battery, caught new felony cases for intimidation and telephone harassment.

"Mr. Walsh, put your hands behind your back," Will County Judge Edward Burmila commanded as Walsh stood before the bench. "The court's been informed there's a warrant for your arrest."

A deputy then put Walsh in handcuffs and sat him in the jury box to wait for his trip to jail.

The new charges stem from a June 12, 2012, telephone call Walsh's then-girlfriend, Jillian Fredericks, secretly recorded. Walsh allegedly threatened Fredericks during the call. A month and a half later, Walsh was arrested for allegedly beating Fredericks.

After Walsh's arrest, Fredericks turned the recording over to a Frankfort police officer who had been assigned to an internal investigation for a pending disciplinary proceeding. The officer shared the recording with her superiors, who let an attorney representing the village in on its existence but decided against using it at the disciplinary hearing. Frankfort also decided against sharing the recording with the Mokena police, the department investigating Walsh for the criminal case.

Special prosecutor Dave Neal only learned of the recording when Fredericks' sister, Michelle Wawerski, told him about it after the trial's first day Nov. 20. Wawerski said she let Neal know because she was bothered by the way defense attorney Steven Haney was portraying Walsh during the trial and she wanted people to hear what Walsh is "really like."

Judge Burmila ruled that the Frankfort police committed a "discovery violation and it was purposeful." He forbade the use of the recording unless Walsh takes the stand. He said Neal could then use the recording to impeach Walsh's testimony.

Burmila also said he would declare a mistrial and recuse himself from the case if that was what Walsh wished. Haney, said it was unlikely he would ask for a mistrial.

Walsh was being held in lieu of $50,000 bond. He was free on a $75,000 bond at the time of his arrest.

Go check out our Facebook page.