A prominent Ohio restaurateur faces a criminal investigation after allegedly mouthing an expletive at Drew Peterson in court Thursday.
Jeff Ruby — a steakhouse owner who drew national attention when he threw O.J. Simpson out of his establishment five years ago — traveled to Joliet this week after becoming enraged by the defense team’s frequently sophomoric news conferences. Parking his rock star-style bus alongside the courthouse, he has been holding his own press availabilities each day to blast the judge and Peterson’s lawyers.
During a break Thursday morning, Ruby and Peterson began to stare each other down in the cramped courtroom.
“I kept staring at him because I am not going to be intimidated by this lowlife,” Ruby said. “And the look kept getting dirtier, so I just kept looking at him. I even thought about going over there and giving him a mouthful/ of missing teeth. I really thought about knocking them out … because if you can’t take care of him legally, you take care of it physically where I come from — Jersey.”
Rather than throw a punch, Ruby mouthed two words, including an expletive, at Peterson in front of a member of the Will County sheriff’s office. Deputies then removed Ruby from court.
Sheriff’s spokesman Ken Kaupas said Ruby is being investigated for “indirect criminal contempt of court” for addressing a defendant without permission.
Ruby did not seem overly concerned about the investigation.
“He’s a murderer and I’m the one in trouble?” he said.
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Defense attorney Joseph Lopez seemed disappointed when Ruby and his bus left.
“I didn’t get any steaks!” he said.
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