Cook County court staffer accused of shredding court files - My50 Chicago - Television - WPWR

A veteran Cook County Circuit Court employee was ordered held in lieu of $750,000 bail Saturday for allegedly taking court files from work and then shredding them at her kitchen table.

Authorities didn't know the quantity of the data that Jeannette Neibauer allegedly destroyed nor did they know how long it had been going on, said Cook County Sheriff's spokesman Frank Bilecki.

After Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown's office was alerted about Neibauer's activities, the sheriff's office started its investigation ten days ago, Bilecki said.

Neibauer, who is assigned to handle case files for an unnamed judge in the law division, was arrested at the Daley Center court complex on Friday. The law division handles a range of civil lawsuits, from medical malpractice to personal injury.

She has been with the Circuit Court for 17 years, according to Brown's spokeswoman Yvonne Davila. Union rules prevent the clerk's office from discussing Neibauer's job status.

"As a sworn officer of the court who is charged with the safekeeping of court records, I'm deeply disappointed in any employee's illegal actions," Brown said in a statement.

Neibauer is facing official misconduct and tampering with court files charges.