Judge to Rule on Allowing Girlfriend's Secret Tape in Frankfort Cop's Felony Battery Trial

A parade of police officers and a woman who was allegedly battered by her Frankfort cop boyfriend testified Thursday at a special hearing on the admissibility of a secret audio recording.

The now former girlfriend, Jillian Fredericks, explained how she kept her secret recording under wraps for nearly a year and a half because a Frankfort police officer told her it would be a felony to "utilize it."

The Frankfort police officer who allegedly told Fredericks this, Leanne Bender, testified that she only told the police chief and deputy chief about the recording and said she "did not want to cause any more trouble for" Fredericks.

The Frankfort police never shared the recording with the Mokena Police Department, which was the agency actually handling Fredericks' felony domestic battery case against ex-boyfriend Donald Walsh. Walsh, 30, is a Frankfort police officer. Bender obtained the recording during the investigation for a disciplinary proceeding against Walsh.

Special prosecutor Dave Neal said he did not find out about the recording until Fredericks' sister, Michelle Wawerski, told him about it at the conclusion of the trial's first day Nov. 20. Wawerski said she let Neal know because she was bothered by the way defense attorney Steven Haney was portraying Walsh during the trial and she wanted people to hear what Walsh is "really like."

Fredericks said Walsh threatened her and her sister during the recording she made of their 45-minute telephone call.

Walsh faces charges of aggravated domestic battery and domestic battery. He allegedly headbutted Fredericks, then punched and choked her in July 2012. The recorded telephone call was made about a month and a half before the alleged attack.

One more witness, Frankfort Village Attorney Dave Silverman, was slated to testify Friday before Will County Judge Edward Burmila makes his ruling. In addition to deciding whether to allow the recording, Burmila said he will also get to the bottom of whether Fredericks' surreptitious recording constitutes a felony or not.

Go check out our Facebook page.