Local Man's Latest Victory Marks Third Time He's Successfully Defended Himself in Court
Robert Ellis, 67, has secured his third consecutive courtroom win after representing himself as "pro se litigant" against Cook County prosecutors. His latest victory came on Friday, marking a significant milestone in his ongoing quest for justice.
In this case, Ellis was acquitted of charges related to misrepresenting himself as a police officer while attempting to obtain new license plates for his car. He claimed that the police had confiscated an "M" plate from his vehicle at a Chicago White Sox game and subsequently removed it. According to Ellis, he showed his Illinois driver's license at the Secretary of State's office to get a civilian license plate, but was still targeted by authorities.
Ellis argued that the state's impersonation law should only apply to underlying crimes like robbery or financial fraud, rather than simply representing oneself as a police officer. He claimed that this was an unconstitutional attempt to restrict his free speech and that he spent three and a half months in jail and missed his first daughter's birthday for no reason.
"I literally had nothing," Ellis said during the trial, when asked about the "Beta Alpha" police badge that was allegedly presented at the Secretary of State's office. "This one pissed me off the most."
Ellis has been on a roll, having previously won two cases in 2024 and 2025, both while representing himself in court. In those cases, he successfully defended against charges of impersonating a police officer in Pembroke Township.
The veteran litigant has taken to social media to express his gratitude to the judge who presided over his latest case. "You can thank me by staying out of trouble," the judge reportedly told Ellis.
Ellis is now considering filing a wrongful arrest lawsuit against police and prosecutors, citing financial need as the primary motivator for pursuing such action.
Robert Ellis, 67, has secured his third consecutive courtroom win after representing himself as "pro se litigant" against Cook County prosecutors. His latest victory came on Friday, marking a significant milestone in his ongoing quest for justice.
In this case, Ellis was acquitted of charges related to misrepresenting himself as a police officer while attempting to obtain new license plates for his car. He claimed that the police had confiscated an "M" plate from his vehicle at a Chicago White Sox game and subsequently removed it. According to Ellis, he showed his Illinois driver's license at the Secretary of State's office to get a civilian license plate, but was still targeted by authorities.
Ellis argued that the state's impersonation law should only apply to underlying crimes like robbery or financial fraud, rather than simply representing oneself as a police officer. He claimed that this was an unconstitutional attempt to restrict his free speech and that he spent three and a half months in jail and missed his first daughter's birthday for no reason.
"I literally had nothing," Ellis said during the trial, when asked about the "Beta Alpha" police badge that was allegedly presented at the Secretary of State's office. "This one pissed me off the most."
Ellis has been on a roll, having previously won two cases in 2024 and 2025, both while representing himself in court. In those cases, he successfully defended against charges of impersonating a police officer in Pembroke Township.
The veteran litigant has taken to social media to express his gratitude to the judge who presided over his latest case. "You can thank me by staying out of trouble," the judge reportedly told Ellis.
Ellis is now considering filing a wrongful arrest lawsuit against police and prosecutors, citing financial need as the primary motivator for pursuing such action.
this guy's determination is pretty wild lol he's like a serial court winner or something! his argument about free speech vs impersonation law is legit tho 
i mean who doesn't wanna express themselves on the road? but at the same time, can't we just get along and not pretend to be someone we're not? 
anyway gotta give this dude props for going up against the system and coming out on top 
. Defending himself in court three times is already impressive but he just won his third consecutive win 
. What's even crazier is that he actually has a point about the impersonation law 
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That's just not right, especially when you consider he missed his first daughter's birthday 
. Anyways, it's great to see him taking a stand and now he might even get compensated for the whole ordeal 
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. That wrongful arrest lawsuit could be a game-changer 
Oh man, I'm literally cheering for Robert Ellis right now!!! He's like a hero to me! Representing himself in court and winning three cases straight is insane. I mean, I'd be shook if I was on the other side of the courtroom 
. The way he argues that the impersonation law should only apply to actual crimes and not just someone showing off their badge 
is so smart! It's all about free speech, baby 
! I love how he took a stand and didn't back down, even when it meant spending three months in jail. That's the kind of determination we need more of in this world 
. But Ellis is already thinking about suing the police department for wrongful arrest - I guess he's got some time on his hands now 
Robert Ellis is like a superhero in the courtroom! Three times winning as "pro se litigant" is mind-blowing 
, I'm so over these forum threads where people just regurgitate news without any critical thinking... like this article about Robert Ellis's latest win 
It's also interesting that the judge basically told him "stay out of trouble" – it's a weird dynamic where the guy who just won his case is now being told what he should do with his newfound freedom. 
One thing I'd like to see more of is how Ellis plans to navigate this potential wrongful arrest lawsuit. It sounds like financial need might be a major motivator, but that could also create some interesting challenges for him in the courtroom. 
i feel bad that he had to spend 3.5 months in jail just because of a minor mistake but at the same time, he's super determined to fight for his rights and speak out against the state's impersonation law 
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can u imagine?