Judge Cleared Of Gun Charge In Courthouse Incident

CHICAGO — A Cook County judge who was caught on security camera video over the summer dropping what appeared to be a gun in a Chicago courthouse lobby was acquitted of a misdemeanor weapons charge during a bench trial Tuesday. Judge Joseph Claps, 70, had been charged with possessing a weapon in a prohibited location following the July 3 incident at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

In footage from the courthouse at 2650 S. California Ave., Claps is seen walking through the lobby when a gun-like object falls to the ground from his jacket. He stops to pick up the item before he continues walking out of frame.

Although two Cook County sheriff's deputies testified Tuesday that Claps did drop a gun, Will County Judge Edward Burmila ruled that their accounts and the video weren't enough evidence to prove the object that fell to the ground was a firearm, according to the Chicago Tribune. The item that Claps dropped was never seized to see if it had been a weapon, argued Thomas Breen, the attorney for Claps.

RELATED: Judge Drops Gun In Courthouse, Charged With Misdemeanor (VIDEO)

"There is no evidence that whatever that object was that was dropped had the capability of firing a bullet," Breen said. "It could have been a cap gun. It could have been a water pistol. It could have been a lighter, a cigar lighter. It could have been anything."

Even though Claps has a concealed-carry license for a gun, firearms are not allowed in the courthouse. If he had been convicted, he could have faced 180 days in jail and a $2,500 fine, the Tribune reports.

Burmila had been asked to oversee the case because of Claps' dealings with Cook County judges, the report stated. A prosecutor from the Illinois state's attorney’s appellate office also was brought in because the case involved a judge, the report added.

More via the Chicago Tribune

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