Nearly 100 accused killers in Cook County, Illinois, are out on the streets, instead of in jail, as they await their trials for murder amid a surge in violent crime in Chicago.
A total of 94 defendants, all of whom have been charged for taking a person’s life, are out of confinement on ankle monitors, compared to 31 who were in the same situation four years ago, the Chicago Tribune reported on Friday. In addition to the suspected killers, 261 individuals who have been convicted of two more felonies are also out of jail with monitors, compared to 15 in 2017.
Five hundred and thirty-four people charged as felons in possession of a weapon are wearing monitors, while only 89 were in the same situation four years ago. An additional 569 individuals accused of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon are not being held in jail, compared to 182 in 2017.
15-YEAR-OLD GIRL SHOT WHILE WALKING DOG IN CHICAGO
Thirty-three people charged with vehicular hijacking and 53 accused of domestic battery are also wearing monitors. Both numbers dwarf past estimates.
The spike has alarmed law enforcement authorities in the area as the city continues to be plagued with rampant shooting sprees. Chicago, thus far in 2021, has seen a 22% uptick in murder, a 12% jump in sexual assault, and a 15% increase in car thefts, according to crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department.
“There’s a population on home monitoring that was never meant to be on it, including 92 or 93 who are charged with murder,” Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart told the Tribune. “I’ve been pleading with judges. These are violent people who are a danger to the community. We can’t keep doing this.”
The decision whether to confine or release defendants rests on local judges, some of whom are proponents of criminal justice reform, including Chief Judge Timothy Evans, an advocate for the “least restrictive pretrial conditions.”
“Even after a person is accused of a crime, in the U.S. legal system, under our Constitution, every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” Evans told the local outlet. “While a case is pending, under the law, judges must impose the least restrictive pretrial conditions possible that ensure the defendant’s return to court and protect public safety. Jail is the most restrictive condition, depriving the accused of liberty, as well as access to jobs, education, family and the ability to aid in their defense.”
The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board lashed out against the ankle monitoring and berated city officials for attempting to keep track of 3,600 defendants, many of whom have violent tendencies.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“We know electronic monitoring has become an overburdened system that was not designed for individuals charged with violent offenses. Dart’s office is trying to keep track of some 3,600 defendants, up considerably from just a year ago,” it wrote.
“It defies logic to say they pose no real risk to the public and should be allowed to return to their communities in such large numbers, with little supervision,” the board added.
