Woman Gets Week in Jail for Lying to Judge to Cover for Missing Friend

A Joliet woman tried to cover for a friend who didn’t make it to court on time but ended up joining him in the county jail when the judge caught her lying.

Maria Rios, 45, told Will County Judge Cory Lund that her friend Jack Ruben Smith was out of town when his case was called Thursday, according to court records. Smith, a Lockport resident, was up on two charges of driving on a suspended license.

Rios told Judge Lund that Smith, 45, was in Pennsylvania. Lund still issued warrants for Smith’s arrest since he had failed to appear in court.

But then Smith showed up after all, proving that he wasn’t actually in Pennsylvania. Lund had him taken into custody on the warrants and hauled off to jail.

Judge Lund also found Rios in contempt of court for lying to him. For her dishonesty, he sent her to jail for seven days.