The founder of Lake County Black Lives Matter has turned himself in to begin serving a 40-day jail sentence after the man took unauthorized photos during a court proceeding and posted them online.
Clyde McLemore, 65, of Zion, attended a court hearing on the morning of April 25 at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan.
The hearing was for a criminal case against Dante Salinas, 39, of Gurnee, a former Waukegan police officer.
Salinas is facing three counts of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for shooting and killing 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette in October 2020.
Salinas is also facing charges of official misconduct and one count of aggravated battery causing bodily harm stemming from a separate incident for allegedly pistol-whipping Angel Salgado during an arrest in August of 2019.
McLemore took photographs on his cell phone of Salinas as the defendant stood in the courtroom for the April 25 hearing.
On the same day, McLemore posted two of the photographs on Facebook with the caption, “The police officer who shot and killed Marcellus.”
Prosecutors later sought to have McLemore, the founder and executive director of the Lake County Black Lives Matter chapter, found in indirect criminal contempt of court for his actions.
Prosecutors said McLemore violated 19th Judicial Circuit Court rules when it comes to taking photographs in the courtroom. They said he did so without authorization and that notice of the rule was displayed in the courthouse.
A victim witness specialist with the state’s attorney’s office witnessed McLemore using his cell phone to take the photos and the sheriff’s office saw the photos he published to his social media account.
Prosecutors said McLemore also posted a video on social media acknowledging he took the photos in the courtroom and knew he was not supposed to have done so.
McLemore also stated in the video, “I do what I want to do,” prosecutors said.
In May, McLemore told Lake and McHenry County Scanner he is a reporter, has press credentials and access to Lake County courtrooms.
“If Trump can get 34 felonies and still run for President, you’re gonna convict me of taking a picture of a police officer in court?” McLemore said when reached for comment. “White privilege strikes again.”
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office was tasked to prosecute the case but because an employee was a witness on the case, they recused themselves to avoid the conflict of interest.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office was appointed to prosecute the matter.
During a case management conference last month, a negotiated plea deal was reached in the case.
Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes accepted the guilty plea and sentenced McLemore to 40 days in the Lake County Jail pursuant to the agreement.
The sentence was ordered to be served at 50%, meaning McLemore will serve 20 days.
McLemore turned himself in to the Lake County Jail on Wednesday morning to begin serving the sentence.
McLemore has previously been arrested for trespassing at a Waukegan City Council meeting in October 2022 and participating in civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in February 2021.