Latest news with #Karina'sLaw
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocate groups rally at Illinois Capitol for Clean Slate Bill
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A group of community leaders and advocates gathered at the Illinois State Capitol earlier this month, calling on lawmakers to introduce a bill that would automatically seal individuals' criminal records after they serve their time. Advocate groups are pushing for lawmakers to create a modernized automatic system to expunge records for minor offenses and replace the current petition-based system. So far, no legislation has been filed. Bill aims to reform Illinois' child incarceration system Under the current law, individuals are required to go through hurdles to file paperwork, hire a lawyer and spend money to have their records sealed. The Clean Slate Bill would remove the middleman from that process. Executive Director and Founder of the Illinois Coalition to Affirmative Policies Marlon Chamberlain said this automatic process will eliminate a lot of those barriers. 'My organization just believes that a criminal record shouldn't follow anyone for life. There are thousands of laws in Illinois that create these permanent punishments for individuals,' Chamberlain said. 'And this is a way where we can allow folks to move on in life and really evolve and grow.' People affected by the criminal justice system often face stigma after serving their time, creating challenges for them to find housing, employment and other opportunities. Illinois bill looks to minimize private donors' influence on judicial elections Central Regional Coordinator for Illinois for Listen to Us and Permanent Punishment Toy Beasley said this is about restoring economic opportunity for some Illinoisans. 'A lot of those people that come home from prison or are already out, they have degrees in certain areas like the banking industry, computer science industry,' Beasley said. 'But because of the way the system is set up, they can't get jobs to work in those fields.' In Illinois, individuals must wait three years after serving their time to file a petition to seal their criminal record costing hundreds of dollars. If approved, law enforcement can take up to two months to seal records from the system. In a study conducted by the Paper Prisons Institute, 60% of individuals have a chance to seal their conviction record and 73% of people with a criminal record are eligible to seal or expunge their record. This is a small portion of the 2.2 million who are eligible but haven't received it yet because of a backlog in the current system. Pritzker signs Karina's Law to take guns away from domestic violence situations New York and Michigan have both passed the Clean Slate Bill, giving opportunities to people with past records to contribute to society. Isiah Brandon, a member of the Worker Center for Racial Justice, hopes this will encourage people to turn their lives around. 'We want to do all that we can to make sure that we're providing a real opportunity for those individuals who are in need,' Brandon said. 'And most certainly for those who have been incarcerated so they can come back into our communities and be positive, productive members of our society.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Center for Prevention of Abuse CEO reacts to Karina's Law bill signing
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Victims and survivors of domestic violence now have another option to help protect themselves. On Monday, Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4144 also known as Karina's Law, which allows law enforcement to confiscate firearms from people whose FOID card has been taken away due to the issuance of orders of protection. Pritzker signs 'Karina's law' to remove guns from domestic violence situations Carol Merna, CEO of the Center for Prevention of Abuse, remarked how monumental this bill is. 'It affects everyone,' she said. 'When we can provide a blanket response that's available to them through law enforcement, we know that it's something that's going to stick. We know that it's something that people are going to find deep comfort in.' The center has personnel at courthouses in Tazewell, Peoria and Woodford County who assist with filing orders of protection. Merna said that when someone files an order of protection with the court, there is an option for a firearm remedy, which will create a search warrant to have any firearms removed from the person filed against. Once the order of protection is filed, the court has 96 hours for the search warrant to be executed and remove the firearms. 'That emergency order of protection that people seek through at the Center for Prevention of Abuse is often the first step to leaving a very violent or abusive relationship,' Merna said. 'Whatever we can do to accommodate that survivor or that victim, we want them to know that we're here for them. We believe them, [and] to give them all the tools possible to say safe.' Merna says 54% of domestic-related homicides nationally involve a firearm. Jose Alvarez allegedly shot and killed his wife, Karina Gonzalez, and her daughter in July 2023, just weeks after she filed an order of protection against him Alvarez also allegedly shot their son, but he survived and voiced to have his mother remembered through this bill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois law aims to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a law to take guns away from people accused of abuse. Karina's Law (HB4469) is named after Karina Gonzalez. Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter were shot and killed at home in July of 2023. Gonzalez's husband is accused of killing them. There was an order of protection against him at the time. The law requires authorities to confiscate guns from people with orders of protection against them if the victim asks for the guns to be removed. Supporters say the bill is a monumental step toward protecting domestic assault victims. Law enforcement had concerns about storage of guns and enforcing the law. Some argue that a person who's required to remove ownership of a gun could transfer it to another person who can legally own one. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pritzker signs ‘Karina's law' to remove guns from domestic violence situations
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) — Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela were shot and killed on Fourth of July weekend in 2023 at their Chicago home, allegedly by her husband. After more than a year of negotiations, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill in her honor Monday that is designed to remove guns from domestic violence situations. 'As I look forward towards the future, I hope that the future survivors won't have to suffer as much as our family and countless others have had to at the hands of abusers,' said Manny Alvarez, Gonzalez's surviving son, at a news conference in Chicago Monday. House Bill 4144, also known as Karina's Law, clarifies that local law enforcement must temporarily remove guns from a person who has an order of protection against them when the alleged victim successfully seeks firearm removal as a remedy in court. Current law allows people asking a court for an order of protection to request a 'firearm remedy' that would lead to law enforcement removing guns from the alleged abuser's possession. Karina's Law closes the loophole that made it unclear who was responsible for removing the gun from the situation. Under the law, the person who seeks an order of protection can also ask the court to issue a search warrant that will allow local law enforcement to seize firearms from the alleged abuser. The petitioner or state's attorney must demonstrate probable cause that the alleged abuser poses an immediate threat to the petitioner. Law enforcement would then be required to execute the warrant within 96 hours of it being issued. 'Taking lethal weapons from those who have already done harm and are an immediate and present danger to do further harm is simply common sense,' Pritzker said. Guns and domestic abuse are a deadly recipe, said Amanda Pyron, CEO of The Network, an advocacy group that focuses on preventing domestic violence. Between 2019 and 2023, Illinois saw a 63% increase in gun-related domestic violence deaths. 'An emergency order of protection is often the first step out of a violent relationship,' Pyron said. 'It can also be the most dangerous step. This is the time that a survivor faces the most risk because it's also the time that the abusive partner realizes he's losing control.' Supporters of the law said they hope closing the loophole will make it safer for victims when they seek a court's intervention. 'Karina's Law will protect survivors of domestic violence and give them comfort – the comfort of knowing that their abuser will not have easy access to firearms,' Pritzker said. Read more: Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated The nation's high court upheld a federal law last June that prohibits people with domestic violence-related restraining orders from having guns. Though Karina's Law had previously passed through the House last spring, senators delayed action while waiting for the decision. 'I was relieved when the court gave us far more elbow room than I would have expected to tackle this issue, and now we have, and we've done it in a matter that is effective and constitutional,' Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said. Read more: Lawmakers advance 'Karina's bill' to remove guns from domestic violence situations Though the bill received bipartisan support, some gun rights groups and Republican lawmakers expressed concerns the bill undermines due process afforded to people accused of crimes. They argued taking guns away from a person with an order of protection against them assumes guilt on criminal charges and violates their constitutional rights. Orders of protection are filed in civil court. 'This policy sends a clear message to those living through trauma and the terror of domestic violence,' Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, said. 'Here in Illinois, we see you. You have the absolute right to leave your abuser and we will do our best to keep you and your family safe. And most importantly, here in Illinois, we value your life and the life of your families more than we value your abuser's gun.' Illinois law enforcement organizations also had concerns about their ability to carry out the law, including where police agencies would store the confiscated firearms and the logistics of carrying out search warrants against alleged abusers. Law enforcement organizations and lawmakers came to an agreement over those logistics. If a victim has not made any reports of domestic violence to police within the last three months, police will have 48 hours to research the situation behind the order of protection and make any changes to the search warrant. Warrants then must be executed within 96 hours of any changes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois governor signs Karina's Law to protect victims of domestic violence
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Governor JB Pritzer has signed House Bill 4144, also known as Karina's Law, to improve protections for survivors of domestic violence in Illinois. Officials say the law would allow local law enforcement agencies to confiscate firearms from any person whose Firearm Owner Identification card has been revoked due to restraining orders. The law is named after Karina Gonzalez, an Illinois mother who was granted an order of protection against her husband, Jose Alvarez. Weeks later, Alvarez reportedly shot both her and their teenage daughter in July 2023. They say their son was also shot, survived and has lobbied for the General Assembly to pass the law in Karina's name. Governor Pritzker says they owe it to all the victims of domestic violence and their families to continue building as much support and protection for them. 'Protecting victims of domestic violence is a cause that's taking a giant leap forward today,' says Governor Pritzker. 'Karina's law will protect survivors of domestic violence and give them the comfort of knowing their abuser will not have easy access to firearms.' Illinois State Police Director Brandan Kelly says state police and their partners in local police are pushing hard to remove guns away from violent criminals. 'Karina's Law will be an important new tool to help us disrupt domestic violence that too often ends with a gun,' says Kelly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
