A rural Roodhouse man who had aggravated assault and criminal trespass charges dismissed in Greene County Circuit Court in late February had the charges refiled last week.
Greene County State’s Attorney refiled charges against 31-year old John J. Scheferkort on Tuesday of last week.
Scheferkort is alleged to have entered a rural east Roodhouse home in June 2022 while the homeowners were present. Upon entering the home, Scheferkort allegedly brandished an 8 inch hunting knife at an adult female, and according to charging documents, placed the woman in “reasonable apprehension of receiving a battery.” He was later arrested by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies.
Scheferkort was then found unfit to stand trial in August 2022.
On February 27th of this year, Illinois Department of Human Services officials told the Greene County Circuit Court that Scheferkort believed that he would not reach the level of mental fitness required to proceed as if it were a normal case.
Charges against Scheferkort were then dismissed per conditions that he be placed in a in a long-term structured group home environment where he could continue to receive mental health treatment so long as precautions were in place where he couldn’t get out and commit similar criminal offenses in the future.
According to email communications with the Greene County State’s Attorney’s Office today, a family member removed Scheferkort from the long-term group home contrary to the court’s conditions. According to online court records, the files in the June 2022 case have been refiled on Tuesday. State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe said in email, “We believed it was in the best interest of all parties, including John, to reinstate the charge.”
Scheferkort is due for a first appearance in court on the reinstated charges for a first appearance on May 22nd.