A McLean County judge said a decade in prison is an “appropriate, albeit lengthy” punishment for a Chicago man charged with contempt for delaying a murder trial last year.
Alexander Gayles failed to appear last April in response to a subpoena. Prosecutors say he was a material witness in the 2024 trial of Malcolm Johnson and Kevon Moon for their role in killing Jaleel Johnson in 2020. Gayles was later arrested in Wisconsin and compelled to testify.
Gayles appeared in court Tuesday, where Judge William Yoder rejected a motion to reconsider the 10-year sanction imposed for criminal contempt.
Assistant public defender Michael Malin said the court did not adequately weigh Gayles’ argument to the court that he was afraid to testify and was not trying to aid Johnson and Moon with their case.
“He was not trying to assist,” said Malin. “He was trying to protect himself.”
In a previous interview with WGLT, Gayles said he gave a statement to Bloomington Police while in custody for an unrelated drug charge. Court records show Gayles previously said he witnessed a fight at a party in Chicago, where prosecutors believe motive was established to kill Jaleel Johnson days later in West Bloomington. At trial, Gayles said he did not recall witnessing the fight because he was intoxicated at the time.
Both defendants were convicted. A third, James Moon, has not been located.
Assistant state's attorney Brad Rigdon argued Tuesday that the court “correctly gave weight to the gravity of the offense,” noting Gayles’ “character and history” as evidence of intent to disrupt the court.
Yoder agreed, finding Gayles’ defiance to be “willful and deliberate,” stating that Gayles’ demeanor before the court did not support the argument that he was afraid. On Tuesday, Gayles appeared in court shackled at the wrists and ankles. He was calm and spoke only when asked for a response.
McLean County State's Attorney Erika Reynolds declined to answer questions, referring WGLT to court transcripts for comment.
Malin said he plans to file an appeal. If the sanction stands, Gayles first becomes eligible for release in May 2029.
According to a quarterly report released by the IDOC in December, Gayles is the only person in the state incarcerated for criminal contempt.
