Authorities are searching for a man who escaped from the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday shortly after a judge ordered him detained while awaiting trial, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.
Richard Donta Cotton, 32, appeared before Judge William Gamboney about 12:30 p.m. at the courthouse on multiple gun felony charges, according to court records. He walked into the courthouse after he was summoned to appear for a detention hearing, the sheriff’s office said. He was not in custody prior to the hearing.
After Gamboney made his decision, he ordered deputies to take Cotton into custody, the sheriff’s office said, but Cotton asked to give some belongings to a relative.
“As he approached the relative, he began to run and ran out of the courtroom and exited the courthouse,” the statement said.
A warrant was issued for his arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s police at 847-635-1188 or dial 911.
