Illinois Justice Project News Summary

August 20 -- 26, 2019

JUVENILE JUSTICE - ADULT TRANSFER
WCBU, Peoria Public Radio, by Dana Vollmer: "Murder Charges In Death Of Peoria Teen Raise Questions About Controversial State Laws" . . . "The Illinois General Assembly, in recent years, has moved to limit the circumstances under which juveniles can be charged as adults –– which advocates argue hasn’t made communities any less safe. 'Prior to the policies on automatic transfers being changed, Cook County alone had about 350 cases of youth being tried in adult court,' said Korynna Lopez of the Illinois Justice Project. 'Numbers haven’t spiked to reflect that change was dangerous.'"


JUVENILE JUSTICE
Chicago Sun-Times commentary by Elizabeth Clarke: "Four ways America gets it wrong in prosecuting alleged teen offenders" . . . "The United States leads developed nations in punitive, cruel and inhumane practices against children and adolescents who come into conflict with the law."


FELONY MURDER
Chicago Tribune column by Eric Zorn: "Lake County homeowner probably wasn’t justified shooting at car burglars, but our absurd felony murder law says it doesn’t matter" . . . "The situation here is a shocking example of the potential absurdity of this law, as broad as any such statute in the nation, according to research overseen by Steven Drizin, co-director of Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions: Five teens are facing 20 years to life in prison for murder because a frightened homeowner shot and killed their friend when they were allegedly committing a property crime."

Chicago Tribune column by Dahleen Glanton: "A kid charged with his friend’s murder during a botched burglary in 2008 got a second chance. The teens charged in Lake County deserve one too."

Chicago Reporter commentary by Saeed Richardson: "Felony murder: Charging black teens for their friend’s death is a crime"


ILLINOIS STATE POLICE TROOPER NICK HOPKINS
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Illinois State trooper dies after shootout in East St. Louis" . . . "An Illinois State Police trooper was fatally shot while executing a 'high risk' search warrant along with other members of a SWAT team on Friday in a residential neighborhood. Trooper Nick Hopkins, 33, with 10 years of experience on the force, died at St. Louis University Hospital just after 6 p.m., authorities said. 'It is nearly impossible to express the depth of my sadness,' said Brendan Kelly, acting director of the Illinois State Police. 'Nick Hopkins was a bright light in this world.'”

Belleville News-Democrat: "Shooting of State Police trooper leads to tense, sorrowful day in East St. Louis neighborhood"

Belleville News-Democrat: "Flags set to half-staff in Waterloo as town grieves for slain Illinois state trooper"

Belleville News-Democrat: "Hopkins family releases statement; funeral services set"


ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio, by Shannon Heffernan: "Mysterious Prison Deaths In Illinois Linked To ‘Unknown Substance’ And Falsified Documents" . . . "In September 2018, three men mysteriously died in the same area of a downstate Illinois prison — in just three days. Documents obtained by WBEZ paint a picture of how those deaths happened over the course of three days, as Menard Correctional Center staff ignored warning signs and one employee falsified documents. The deaths raise questions about staff accountability, prison transparency and drugs behind bars."

KWQC-TV, Davenport, Iowa: "Problems at state prisons in Iowa and Illinois" . . . "The Illinois Department of Corrections says their ideal number of correctional officers is 10,077. The state currently has 1,349 vacancies."

John Howard Association: "JHA Special Report: Communications Update" . . . ". . . JHA believes that failing to meet demand and perpetuating unnecessary scarcity with regard to prisoners’ access to communications creates unwanted issues that undermine safety and security. We again recommend that IDOC reconsider the availability and accessibility of phones and other forms of communication, and revisit policies that place restrictions on communications for disciplinary purposes."

Chicago Tribune commentary by Charlotte Brooks: "Commentary: If we ban books for tackling ‘racial issues,’ what will be left?"


ROCKFORD - MARK ANTHONY BARMORE
Rockford Register Star by Chris Green: "10 years later: How Mark Anthony Barmore’s death changed the Rockford Police Department" . . . "Ten years ago Saturday, two Rockford police officers pursued Mark Anthony Barmore into the day care of a downtown church. A struggle ensued and Barmore was killed in the presence of children. The officers involved were white. Barmore was black. The incident sparked racially charged protests, years of civil lawsuits and changed how the Rockford Police Department investigates officer-involved shootings and monitors police behavior. This week, Barmore’s father, Anthony Stevens of Rockford, said his 23-year-old son did not die in vain."

Rockford Register Star: "Church event in Rockford promotes healing 10 years after Barmore shooting" . . . "It was 10 years ago Saturday that 23-year-old Mark Anthony Barmore was shot to death in the church basement at 518 N. Court St. during a confrontation with two Rockford police officers. The Barmore shooting was a flashpoint in the Rockford Police Department’s history and it reshaped the way the department handles internal investigations."


ALLEGED GUN OFFENDER DASHBOARD
Associated Press by Don Babwin: "New online tool to track Chicago gun suspects draws fire" . . . "But critics decry it as a scare tactic that lumps people arrested while carrying or even standing near a gun with those who have pulled them out and used them. They say it unfairly maligns people who under the law are presumed innocent and is aimed at pressuring judges into keeping people locked up while they await trial. 'The people on this list have not been convicted of the crimes for which they were charged,' Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli said in a written statement. 'Yet CPD is flaunting bond court stats as if they have already been convicted.'"


CHICAGO POLICE BOARD
Chicago Tribune by Jeremy Gorner: "Two Chicago police officers were accused of child abuse. A decade later, they were fired" . . . "In voting 9-0 to dismiss Officers Yasmina Vaval and Teresa Foster, the Chicago Police Board said it was 'deeply troubled' that this case, and others, take so long to resolve. 'The Board continues to be deeply troubled by cases such as this, in which the charges were filed more than nine years after an incident occurs,' the board wrote in a 28-page decision handed down last week. 'In this case, the impact was particularly serious on the victim, who was eight years old when abused and is now an adult.'"


CHICAGO POLICE
WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio, by Adriana Cardona-Maguigad: "Chicago Kids Use Social Media To Meetup Downtown, But Police Are Watching"

Chicago Sun-Times: "Cop admits swapping names of crash victims for bribes"

Chicago Sun-Times: "Lightfoot orders citywide hiring freeze that includes police"

WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio, Curious City: "Having ‘The Talk’: Expert Guidance On Preparing Kids For Police Interactions"


LAQUAN McDONALD
The Patch commentary by Mark Konkol: "Ready To 'Move On' After Laquan McDonald? Not So Fast, Chicago" . . . "City Hall's alleged cover-up of Laquan McDonald video was legal, AG says. Chicagoans deserve to know what Mayor Lightfoot will do about it."


JUSSIE SMOLLETT
Chicago Tribune: "Former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb named special prosecutor to look into Jussie Smollett case, from first report of an attack to dropping of charges against him"

Chicago Sun-Times: "Judge appoints ex-U.S. Attorney Dan Webb to investigate Jussie Smollett case"

Chicago Tribune by Jason Meisner: "Who is Dan Webb? Meet the special prosecutor appointed to the Jussie Smollett case."

Chicago Tribune editorial: "The clout questions facing Dan Webb as he probes the Foxx-Smollett case" . . . "We won’t be surprised if Webb faces suggestions that he instead limit himself to Smollett’s behavior and whether the actor should be charged anew with criminal counts. But whatever the temptation to dwell on Smollett, the crucial mission here is to tell the people of Cook County how Foxx’s office gave one defendant such a sweet deal — and at whose urging?"


COURTS
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Holding cell graffiti not admissible" . . . "A defendant’s graffiti, scribbled on the walls of a St. Clair County holding cell ahead of his criminal trial, was not fair game for prosecutors to share with jurors."

Chicago Daily Law Bulletin by Jordyn Reiland: "In juvenile court, Ramirez rewards good schoolwork" . . . "When Cook County Circuit Judge Cynthia Ramirez took the bench in the court’s Juvenile Justice Division five years ago, she didn’t want to just hear cases. She made it her goal to create a courtroom 'theme' around the importance of education. 'As someone who grew up in the same neighborhoods the minors grew up in, who didn’t go to a top-notch high school, I know what education did for me,' Ramirez said."

Chicago Tribune: "State commission upholds complaint against DuPage Judge Patrick O’Shea over shooting probe and retaliation threat; jurist now faces sanctions"

Injustice Watch: "DuPage judge violated judicial canons by falsehoods, retaliation"


COOK COUNTY JAIL
Chicago Tribune: "Judge gives go-ahead to class-action suits alleging indecent conduct by Cook County Jail inmates against female employees, public defenders" . . . "The lawsuits, which name Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart and Public Defender Amy Campanelli as defendants, allege the aggressive sexual behavior created a toxic situation that prompted many female employees to quit due to emotional distress. Both Dart and Campanelli have denied the allegations, saying in previous court filings that they have taken appropriate steps to try to curtail inmates from exposing themselves."

Chicago Sun-Times column by Michael Sneed: "Prof charged in grisly River North stabbing death puts his teaching skills to use in jail"


DEATH PENALTY
Chicago Sun-Times editorial: "A potential death penalty problem for Illinois, brought on by the Trump administration"


ILLINOIS STATE POLICE
WLS-TV: "Governor JB Pritzker creates task force to tackle DNA processing backlog"


REENTRY
Chicago Sun-Times commentary by Brent Adams: "Make a final push for fair housing for ex-offenders" . . . "Cook County commissioners passed an ordinance that forbids landlords from refusing to rent to ex-offenders. Now they must enact rules to make sure the ordinance works."


LEGISLATION
Office of the Illinois Governor news release: "Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Expanding Voting Rights, Rehabilitation in Illinois' Criminal Justice System" . . . "Making critical reforms to improve the lives of justice-involved Illinoisans, Governor JB Pritzker signed a package of legislation today expanding voting rights, civic engagement and educational and rehabilitation programming in Illinois' criminal justice system."

Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Five bills to help first responders’ mental health become state law" . . . "The five measures, signed Friday at Illinois State Police headquarters in Springfield, push to better the mental health of first responders, help the family’s of fallen officers and ensure the Illinois State Police are operating effectively."

Capitol Fax: "Pritzker vetoes bill that would expel students who bring B-B guns, paint ball guns, etc. to school"

Capitol News Illinois by Jerry Nowicki: "Pritzker vetoes school BB gun disciplinary bill; plans to work with sponsors"

Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Cook County jail to be a polling site, expanding voting access"

Crain's Chicago Business: "Chicago’s newest polling location? The Cook County Jail."

WTTW, Chicago Tonight: "New Bill Educates Illinois Prisoners on Voting Rights After Release"

Chicago Tribune by Stacy St. Clair: "Prompted by Naperville teen’s suicide, new law requires parents be present before police question students on school property"

NPR Illinois: "Illinois Reinforces Prison Voting Rights, Expands Inmate Education"


GUN DEALER LICENSING
Center Square, Franklin News Foundation, by Greg Bishop: "Illinois Attorney General asks judge to dismiss lawsuit over state gun dealer licensing law"


GUN VIOLENCE
NPR Illinois: "Illinois AG, House Majority Leader, Vow Action Against Gun Violence"
 

FRANKLIN COUNTY JAIL
WSIL-TV, Carterville: "Franklin County jail employee arrested on sexual assault charges"

Southern Illinoisan: "Franklin County Jail correctional officer charged with sexual misconduct, assault in alleged rape of 2 inmates"


AROUND THE STATE
Lake County News-Sun: "'I’m not running away from anyone’: Ex-con who volunteers at Waukegan District 60 says felony charge for failing to update violent offender registration was ‘misunderstanding’"

Chicago Tribune/Pioneer Press: "Suburban police have been warning residents about leaving cars unlocked with key fobs inside. Then one was part of a tragedy."

State Journal-Register: "Former Springfield police officer guilty of official misconduct"

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette: "Police: Deputy shot inmate after being stabbed at Vermilion County Courthouse"

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette: "Champaign police chief voices concerns with citizen review panel's recommendations"

Danville Commercial-News: "Deputy stabbed, shoots inmate at courthouse"

Daily Herald: "Elgin residents speak about shooting as police, city officials listen in silence"

WLDS radio, Jacksonville: "IL Criminal Justice Info Authority Says More Work Needed to Combat Violence in Central IL"

Quad-City Times: "Court reporter shortages felt in the Quad-Cities"