A 34-year-old Centralia man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated criminal sexual abuse to a person under the age of 18 while in a position of trust.
Jerad Peoples entered the plea to the new Class 1 felony in Marion County Court on Monday after the Appellate Court in Mt. Vernon had earlier thrown out his 35-year prison term on the Class X predatory criminal sexual assault charge to a person under the age of 13. Peoples had been found guilty of that charge during a 2017 bench trial that took place after he failed to appear in court.
Peoples was also ordered to complete two years of mandatory supervised release when getting out of prison. He was also have to pay fines, costs, and fees along with $5,936 restitution.
WJBD archives indicate Peoples had shown up at the courthouse the day before the trial and wanted to fire his attorney and get the trial continued. Judge Mark Stedelin rejected the request. When Peoples didn’t show up the next morning, the decision was made to proceed with the trial in absentia.
Police learned later in the day that Peoples had gone to the hospital where he told officials he had been drinking, taken Tylenol, and tried to kill himself. He was admitted but didn’t notify his family, attorney, or anyone else. Peoples was taken into custody on a no-bond warrant. The Judge later denied giving Peoples a new trial after finding the series of incidents had been contrived and the cuts on his arm were superficial. He ruled that Peoples failure to appear in court was his own fault and within his control.
In overturning the guilty verdict and sentence, the Appellate Justices ruled the trial court abused its discretion in proceeding with the trial in Peoples absence after learning that the defendant was likely hospitalized. The Appellate Court also ruled the prosecution had failed to establish that Peoples’ absence was willful.
