Don't Show My Client's Mugshot During His Murder Trial: Tomczak Law Firm

SHOREWOOD, IL — The Tomczak Law Group, led by attorney Jeff Tomczak, filed a series of pretrial motions on Tuesday on behalf of their first-degree murder defendant Jon Hansen, and one of their motions asks the judge to preclude the prosecution from showing the jury a mugshot photograph.

On Thursday, a judge is expected to set a trial date for Shorewood resident Hansen, 25, who is charged with felony murder in connection with the mass murder spree carried out in January 2024 by Hansen's acquaintance, Romeo Nance of Joliet.

Police believe Nance killed seven of his family members, fatally shot a man outside the Pheasant Run apartments in Joliet Township in a random attack, and wounded another man on Joliet's Davis Street in another random shooting. According to authorities, Nance fled to Mexico before taking his own life.

Before Nance hit the road and drove off toward Mexico, Hansen took one of Nance's guns and tossed it into the shallow DuPage River in Shorewood behind the 7-Eleven store, according to prosecutors. Hansen and Hansen's girlfriend were also inside Nance's vehicle at the time of the two random shootings, according to prosecutors.

Last year, a Will County judge ruled against the Tomczak Law Group's petition to obtain pretrial release for their client.

According to Tomczak's mugshot motion filed Tuesday, Hansen expects Will County prosecutors to display for the jury a mugshot photograph of Hansen taken at the Will County Jail on May 31, 2024.

"The use of mugshots conveys to the jury that Jon Hansen has a prior police history, which makes it impossible for the defendant to receive a fair trial," Tomczak wrote. "The state has other photographs of Jon Hansen taken contemporaneous with the events of May 31, 2024, which may be used to demonstrate or prove any fact in controversy.

"The use of mugshots is substantially more unfairly prejudicial than probative of any issue at trial ... the defendant prays that the state be prohibited from using 'mug' photograph of the Will County Adult Detention Facility or any such 'mug shots' of Jon Hansen," Tomczak's motion concluded.

In 2024, Joliet Patch reported that Shorewood gang member Hansen identifies himself as a Milwaukee King who wants to fight Vice Lords, court documents in Will County show.

"Jon admitted to holding the gun used for the Davis Street shooting ... He claimed to not know what Romeo was doing, didn't know why they drove to the areas they drove to and essentially blamed Romeo for everything," prosecutors outlined. "He did admit assuming they were going to slide on some Vice Lords. He admitted to being masked and gloved and knowing he was going to hold a gun. He admitted he had the gun that was used in the Davis shooting and threw it in the river. He identified the river near 7-Eleven where he threw the gun."