Ohio restaurateur arrested after being banned from Peterson trial
BY JANET LUNDQUIST Staff Reporter/jlundquist@suntimes.com August 23, 2012 4:10PM
Updated: September 25, 2012 10:50AM
Ohio restaurateur Jeff Ruby was arrested Thursday night at Harrah’s Casino in Joliet after being thrown out of the Will County Courthouse earlier that day for mouthing an expletive to Drew Peterson during a break in the trial. Ruby was charged with direct criminal contempt and was released without having to post a cash bond. “There’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell him for seven years,” Ruby said just after he was tossed out of the courtroom Thursday morning. Ruby was standing with a cigar outside his luxury bus, parked across the street from the courthouse. In an interview, Ruby acknowledged that he mouthed the words but did not say anything. “So I did this,” he said, mouthing the words “F--- you.” A Will County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said Ruby is banned from the rest of the trial. Late Thursday, Ruby detailed how the arrest happened. He said he found himself locked out of his hotel room at Harrah’s Casino, so he went down to the front desk. Two sheriff’s deputies, who had apparently asked the hotel to lock Ruby out of his room, were waiting for him. Ruby said the criminal contempt charge holds no water and maintains he didn’t say anything to Peterson. “There’s no way any audible sound came out of my mouth,” Ruby said. Ruby claimed he did it because Peterson was giving him dirty looks. Ruby said he started to stare back. When Peterson wouldn’t break eye contact, Ruby sent his message. Peterson immediately turned to his attorney, Joel Brodsky, and told him what happened. Brodsky asked a bailiff to throw Ruby out. “I denied it. I said, ‘Who are you going to believe, me or Drew Peterson?’ ” Ruby said. “It was the first time in [Peterson’s] life he wasn’t lying. I said it.” Ruby traveled to Joliet for the trial after getting publicity by placing ads criticizing Peterson’s defense team in Sun-Times Media newspapers. He was in the courthouse for the trial all day Tuesday and Wednesday. During his time here, he befriended defense attorneys Joe Lopez and Steve Greenberg. “They’ve stood up and they respect me for what I’ve done,” Ruby said.
