Latest news with #SAFE-TAct
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
16-year-old Peoria boy held in custody in connection with 2024 homicide
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A 16-year-old boy was ordered held pending the outcome of allegations that he shot and killed a man late last year. Last Friday, Robert E. Mister, 16, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Dec. 22, 2024, shooting death of James Miller. While he appeared in court on the charge Friday, his detention hearing, by agreement, was pushed back until Monday. That's not uncommon under the SAFE-T Act, which allows people the chance to remain out of custody pending trial without having to post cash bail. Mister, who appeared in court Monday wearing an orange jumpsuit of an inmate at the county's detention center, showed no emotion as Peoria County Judge Mark Gilles announced Mister was to remain held pending the outcome of his trial. The head, Assistant State's Attorney Terry Muench, acknowledged that Miller had threatened him with a gun first, and that he shot Miller in self-defense. Meunch said multiple reports allege that Mister stood over Miller and shot him in the head, countering that argument. He will next appear in court on June 12 for his arraignment. If convicted, he faces decades behind bars. On Dec. 22, officers went to the 300 block of East Arcadia Avenue at about 7:50 p.m. after someone reported a shooting. There, they found Miller, 39, with a gunshot wound and brought him to a local hospital, where he was declared dead shortly after he arrived. He was found near the home's front door. He had been shot three times in the back and once in the head, Assistant State's Attorney Terry Muench told Judge Mark Gilles. Muench said in open court that Mister had been at the house on Arcadia when a dispute broke out about missing ear pods. He tried to leave the house and on his way downstairs, found a gun. Miller refused to let the boy leave, Muench said, as it was believed that Mister had taken some cell phones. Mister, when talking to police, denied taking cell phones and denied at first even being there. But he was wearing an ankle bracelet of a person who was on probation, likely a juvenile case. That was noticed by a witness, who told police that after she heard gunshots, she saw Mister allegedly standing over Miller and shooting down at him. She noticed he had a bracelet. Days later, Muench said, after police arrested him and recovered his cell phone, they allegedly found a text message where he told someone that he had 'done something bad bad a couple of days ago.' This was the city's 22nd homicide of 2024. Within days, State's Attorney Jodi Hoos indicated her office would seek to have his case transferred to the adult felony division. The juvenile case has been on hold while a judge considered the transfer. The fact that Mister was charged as an adult means his case was transferred. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments over Sean Grayson's pretrial status
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — The Illinois Supreme Court is now weighing whether or not to let former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson be released with special conditions ahead of his October trial. Grayson is charged with the murder of Sonya Massey. While on duty, he shot and killed Massey in her home after she called 911 in July 2024. PREVIOUSLY: Illinois Supreme Court to hear case over whether Sean Grayson should be released pretrial The legal fight — which is separate from the criminal trial — has been going on since he was arrested shortly after Massey's death. The Circuit Court in Sangamon County ruled twice that Grayson should be detained under the SAFE-T Act, but an Appellate Court overturned that decision back in November. 'Now, at this point, Sean Grayson is presumed innocent. And more importantly for this case, he, like every other defendant, is presumed eligible for pretrial release,' Assistant Appellate Defender Deborah Pugh said. 'The burden is on the state to prove that he should not be released and that he would not comply with conditions. As the fourth District said, the issue before the court is not the defendant's guilt or innocence, but whether he should be detained prior to trial.' Now, the Supreme Court will weigh in. The court heard arguments from the Appellate defender and the Attorney General's Office. The main question at hand in this case is whether there are any restrictions or mitigations the court can utilize to keep Grayson from being a danger to the public if he were to be released. Options that were discussed during the arguments were home confinement and electronic monitoring. Grayson's attorneys argued that any risk he posed to the public was eliminated when his gun and badge were taken, since he shot Massey in his official capacity as a deputy. They said that since he wouldn't be put in that situation again, he would not pose a similar threat. SEE ALSO: Upcoming trial dates for Sean Grayson announced Meanwhile, the Attorney General's office argued that Grayson completely disregarded his training when he shot Massey, and therefore should not be trusted to follow rules imposed by the court. 'Ms. Massey was compliant every step of the way,' Illinois Assistant Attorney General Michael Cebula said. 'Ms. Massey was polite, every step of the way. Ms. Massey was appreciative. She said, Love you all. Thank you. This was not a high stress situation. And the fact that defendant viewed it as a high stress situation should be deeply troubling because it shows exactly what the court said. He has terrible judgment. He impulsively resorts to violence.' The justices took turns questioning the attorneys. Several asked Grayson's attorney about his prior history, including two DUIs from before he was a police officer. They also posed the argument that Grayson may not be trusted to correctly utilize electronic monitoring, because the night he shot Massey, he did not have his body camera on. The entire incident was captured on his partner's body camera. Now the Supreme Court will deliberate. There is no clear time table for when they could issue their ruling. Grayson's criminal trial is set to begin in October. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge urges state high court to read constitution as written
May 13—It's not often that someone at the lower end of the organization chart chastises those at the very top. But that's what happened recently when a state appeals court justice asked the Illinois Supreme Court to stop ignoring the Illinois Constitution's clear language that governs the legislative process. Fifth District Appellate Justice Mark Boie wrote that he could not ignore "the legislative and executive branches of our state government's continued disregard for the procedural rules and processes involved in passing laws in this state, then hiding behind and citing our supreme court precedent ... to justify their actions." That's fiery language by judicial standards. What's this about? It concerns the public's interest in having a thoughtful, deliberate legislative process that is required by the Illinois Constitution, but ignored by state supreme court justices. All Illinoisans have a dog in this fight because they have to live within the laws as written. The dispute concerns the Constitution's "three-readings rule" — Article 4, Section 8, Paragraph (d) — which requires that proposed legislation be read and discussed in both the state House and Senate on three separate days. As explained in a court decision, "the three-reading requirement ensures that the Legislature is fully aware" of a bill's contents while providing "the opportunity for the public" to read and comment on the bill "prior" to passage. It reflects one of those good-government promises proponents used to sell the 1970 Illinois Constitution to voters. But few things involving Illinois' pervasively corrupt government are what they seem because the governor, legislature and supreme court ignore the three-readings rule. Boie wrote his partially concurring opinion in a case involving a 2023 gun law. But there have been many other important laws passed in the same surprise-attack manner, most notably the controversial SAFE-T Act social-justice bill. In a process known as "gut and replace," proponents at the last minute strip an unrelated bill of its contents, put in new language and present the final product for a vote. Once passed, sometimes in a matter of hours, legislative leaders sign a statement asserting all rules were followed. Senate President Don Harmon wrote such an affirmation regarding the gun bill, a fib so bold that Boie, relying on the undisputed legislative history, charged "there is nothing further from the truth." The bottom line is that the legislative process can become a giant game of pretend. Legislators pretend to follow the rules. The high court for years has pretended to believe them. As a result, Boie charged that "foundations of the bedrock of democracy are decimated by failing to require the lawmakers to adhere to the constitutional principle." He noted appellate courts in the Fourth and Fifth districts, representing 89 of Illinois' 102 counties, have said "now is the time" for the high court to end this "continuing disregard for the proper constitutional rules and procedures required for passing laws." What will the high court's justices do in the face of such a clarion call? Probably nothing. They have, mostly, ignored the issue. They've occasionally warned legislators to change their behavior, the equivalent of an old man shaking his cane at misbehaving kids. But, just like they ignore the three-readings rule, legislators ignore the justices' warnings. All seven high court justices swore an oath to uphold federal and state constitutions. What they apparently meant was that they would if they felt like it, and wouldn't if they didn't.
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Democratic lawmakers struggle to find consensus on criminal justice measures
SPRINGFIELD — Criminal justice reform has long been one of the most divisive issues between Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly and the Republican minority. But it's also created a split between progressive Democrats and party moderates, who walk a fine line as they seek to avoid being labeled as weak on crime during the next election cycle. The intra-party differences have been on display in the final weeks of the spring legislative session as lawmakers have considered bills aimed at giving a chance at freedom to people serving lengthy prison sentences for crimes committed when they were youths and dropping a requirement that inmates serve a significant percentage of their original sentence. Last month, the divide left House Democrats unable to pass legislation that would have provided additional resentencing options for people convicted of committing crimes when they were under 21. It was a rare instance of a Democratic bill failing after being called to a floor vote. Democratic State Rep. Justin Slaughter of Chicago, a progressive on criminal justice issues who sponsored the sweeping 2021 criminal justice reforms known as the SAFE-T Act, acknowledged that for the party to be uniformly on board, proposals need to have 'the right mix of fairness in the justice system without disturbing the goals of enhancing public safety and ensuring accountability.' 'It's always been a tough pull and tug, trying to strike the balance between … wanting to make sure that you're prioritizing safety, prioritizing accountability, but at the same time creating an environment where you're able to address criminogenic risk behaviors and also address those who may have already touched our system to become rehabilitated,' Slaughter said. Criminal justice is an area where politicians have to tread carefully, said Chicago state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, a Democrat from the party's moderate wing. 'I think we have to be thoughtful about how we change the system and make sure that those that are charged with keeping us safe have the tools that they need and at the same time, we are dealing with the root causes and creating opportunities particularly for young people to live their best lives,' she said. Another sentencing reform-related bill did pass the House and is set to go before the full Senate after being approved last week by that chamber's Criminal Law Committee. The measure would clarify the timeline for when individuals behind bars —- for crimes committed when they were youths or young adults —- can be scheduled for a hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. On April 30, the Senate passed a measure by a 34-17 vote to eliminate a barrier in Illinois' post-conviction petition process for people incarcerated for crimes committed when they were under 21. Three moderate Democrats voted against it: Patrick Joyce of Reddick, Suzy Glowiak Hilton of Western Springs and Meg Loughran Cappel of Shorewood. The bill is now before the House, which passed the legislation in 2023 during the last General Assembly session. But it never made it to the Senate floor for debate, despite having 18 sponsors in the chamber. Another bill passed by the House and now before the Senate aims to create a statewide public defender's office to assist under-resourced county public defender's offices throughout Illinois. State Rep. Dave Vella, the bill's chief sponsor, said the legislation could make the sentencing process more fair over time. 'The most important thing at a sentencing is you have competent defense who is willing to put up the mitigation and get the lowest sentence possible,' said Vella, a Democrat from Rockford and a former Winnebago County assistant public defender. 'When somebody gets a high sentence, a lot of times you'll see it's a defense attorney who doesn't know what they're doing.' Another piece of legislation under consideration takes aim at so-called truth-in-sentencing provisions in Illinois that reformers believe have contributed to unfairly long prison sentences, and with them an increasingly aged prison population. It would eliminate requirements that set a mandatory minimum percentage of a sentence an inmate must serve. It would also allow people to earn time off their sentences for consistently demonstrating good behavior and participating in education and professional programs. A group that calls itself Families Against Mandatory Minimums projected the state would save more than $60 million in the first year if the measure was enacted. Illinois joined a number of states enacting truth-in-sentencing laws in the 1990s after the passage of several tough-on-crime measures through the federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, known as the Crime Bill, then-President Bill Clinton's response to the scourge of street violence in the nation's cities. Under truth-in-sentencing law on the books in Illinois since 1998, a convicted criminal is required to serve a significant percentage of the sentence. The state prison population at the start of fiscal year 1996 was about 38,400 and had grown to more than 49,000 in February 2013. Today, the state's prison population stands at about 29,000. At a news conference in Springfield last week, Ronnie Carrasquillo, who was locked up for more than four decades for the 1976 murder of Chicago police Officer Terrence Loftus, spoke out in favor of the bill. Carrasquillo, who was 18 at the time of the crime, was released in 2023 after the state appellate court vacated his prison sentence of 200 to 600 years, ruling that the circumstances of his upbringing and his maturity level at the time of the crime should allow him a 'meaningful' opportunity for release. Because the Prisoner Review Board repeatedly denied him his freedom over the years, the court determined he hadn't been afforded that opportunity. While in prison, Carrasquillo mentored and started programs for other inmates, according to his lawyer. Carrasquillo said he believes people in prison should at least be eligible for sentencing review through the Prisoner Review Board without being saddled with a mandatory minimum. 'It's hard to watch people around you just be that empty,' Carrasquillo said. 'Everything becomes displaced; it becomes like you're walking in meaningless time. You're just up every day for what?' During a hearing later in the day before the House Judiciary Criminal Committee, Marta Nelson, director of sentencing reform for the Vera Institute, said Illinois takes one of the 'strictest approaches' in the nation to truth-in-sentencing. She testified there should be more opportunities for people incarcerated to be able to earn time off their sentences. State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, a Republican from Metropolis who sits on the committee, noted the options people in prison have for early release and asked how doing away with truth-in-sentencing laws would be received by victims of crime or their families. 'We talk about the fairness aspect of it. I know there will be victims in support of this. But there will be victims that will be adamantly opposed to this,' said Windhorst, a former state's attorney in Massac County in southern Illinois. 'The vast, vast majority of those victims, or the victim's families, are going to be not receiving the benefit of their bargain, so to speak.' State Rep. John Cabello, a Republican from Machesney Park who has worked as a police detective in Rockford, emphasized the need for victims and their families to be included in discussions of sentencing-reform proposals. 'There are a lot of victims and victims' families that I know that would be more than welcome, I believe, to come and testify. Especially when it comes to murder. Murder is cruel. It is final, at least for one person. It is a lifetime of anguish for their families,' he said. 'This is a very serious subject. And I firmly believe we really need to hear from some of these folks.' At the news conference where Carrasquillo spoke, state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat from Aurora and a sponsor of the legislation, said she and advocates have been working on the measure for the past two years and acknowledged it still needs work before gaining the support of more of her Democratic colleagues. 'I think we understand that this is going to be a big push,' Hernandez said. 'I already had some conversations with my colleagues that this would be very difficult for them to vote on, and then they're in the same party that I am. So it's something that we're hoping to change their mindset on because at the end of the day, it is costing us a lot of money to keep individuals incarcerated. It's not helping them at all.'
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Megan Bos: Family, friends hold funeral service, demand justice after suspect's release
The Brief Megan Bos, 37, was found dead under a tarp behind a Waukegan home weeks after disappearing; her funeral was held Saturday as loved ones called for justice. Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez is charged with concealing her death and abuse of a corpse but remains free under the SAFE-T Act, sparking outrage among Bos' family. Authorities await toxicology results, and Antioch's mayor is now pushing for reforms to the SAFE-T Act; Mendoza-Gonzalez is due back in court May 8. ANTIOCH, Ill. - Friends and family gathered Saturday to say their final goodbyes to Megan Bos, 37, who disappeared in February and was later found dead under a blue tarp inside a container behind a Waukegan home. The release of a potential suspect has left Bos' loved ones demanding justice. What we know It was an emotional day for Bos' family and friends as her funeral and burial were held Saturday. Hours later, her grieving parents visited, for the first time, the location where her body deteriorated for seven weeks. There were flowers, hugs, tears and candles as many questions remain surrounding her death. Bos disappeared in February. After several search parties, relatives learned she had been with a friend now accused of breaking her cellphone and trying to hide her body. Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez is charged with concealing the death and abuse of a corpse but is not currently in custody under the SAFE-T Act. "Nobody should be allowed to do what he done and still be on the street. The SAFE-T Act should never come into play when it comes to this. This is beyond the SAFE-T Act," said Bos' stepfather, Eric Bos. Mendoza-Gonzalez told police that Bos overdosed inside his home. After two days in his basement, he allegedly placed her body outside in a garbage bin in his backyard. Her body remained there for more than 50 days. An autopsy found no signs of trauma or struggle. The family is now awaiting toxicology results. What's next Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner is pushing for reforms to the SAFE-T Act. Bos leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter and an 8-month-old son. Mendoza-Gonzalez is due back in court May 8. RELATED:Antioch mayor speaks out after suspect released in Megan Bos case: 'I was shocked'
