Joliet police detective’s domestic battery case in Kendall County could go to trial

A misdemeanor battery case against a Joliet police detective could go to trial in July in Kendall County.

On Oct. 1, Detective Peter Ranstead, 42, was charged with domestic battery of his wife and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.

The incident occurred at a residence in the Kendall County portion of Joliet.

A court order for a criminal jury trial in Ranstead’s case was filed March 12.

A final trial management conference is set for July 9, followed by jury selection and a trial July 14, according to the court order.

But there also is a status hearing scheduled for May 7.

The case against Ranstead was investigated by the Joliet Police Department. He was placed on administrative leave after his arrest last year.

Ranstead still is on administrative leave, and the internal affairs investigation still is ongoing, Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

Ranstead was allowed jail release with conditions without having to post cash bail thanks to the SAFE-T Act, which allows the judge to make a decision on whether someone stays in jail based on information provided to them by prosecutors and defense attorneys at the detention hearing.

The domestic battery charge would have made Ranstead eligible for detention under the SAFE-T Act, but Kendall County prosecutors decided not to request his detention.

Ranstead is at least the fourth officer with the Joliet Police Department who has been prosecuted in Kendall County.

The others include former officer Brian Nagra, 48, former Lt. Dennis McWherter, 58, and former Sgt. Javier Esqueda, 56.

Attorney Jeff Tomczak, who is representing Ranstead, also has represented McWherter and Esqueda.

Nagra was represented by attorney Michael Ettinger, who also is the attorney for former Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk in his conspiracy lawsuit.

O’Dekirk also was represented by Tomczak in two Illinois State Police investigations that resulted in no charges against him.

Ettinger and Tomczak were the attorneys for former Joliet police officer Thomas O’Connor, who was found not guilty in 2017 of excessive force in a federal case.

In Kendall County, Nagra and McWherter received probation in their felony cases, allowing them to avoid a conviction that could have revoked their pension.

Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis had discussed in Esqueda’s official misconduct case a plea deal that also would not lead to a conviction, which was rejected.

Weis would later dismiss the Esqueda case because his office determined that it could not sustain the burden of proof at trial.