Cook County chief judge promises changes in domestic violence court

Catch up quick: Last October, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) requested that Constantin Beldie be held in pre-trial detention after attacking his wife, but Judge Thomas Nowinski denied that petition.

• A month later, Beldie was accused of fatally stabbing his wife and shooting an off-duty police officer before taking his own life.

Nowinski also denied a protective order last spring against a man who was then charged for stabbing an ex-girlfriend and fatally stabbing her son.

Between the lines: Advocates called for Nowinski to be reassigned from the domestic violence division.

The latest: Evans announced Thursday that he's granted Nowinski's request to transfer to a court in Rolling Meadows to hear misdemeanor and traffic-related cases.

Yes, but: Evans' review of the circumstances around Beldie's case determined that the state's attorney's presentation was not strong enough to keep Beldie detained.

• Anna Demacopoulos, first assistant state's attorney, told Axios in a statement: "Lacramioara Beldie's killer should not have been on the street when this tragedy occurred. The CCSAO forcefully and appropriately sought detention on the grounds that he posed a danger to the victim, but that request was denied."
• "While this tragedy occurred before State's Attorney [Eileen O'Neill] Burke's tenure, upon taking office she immediately ordered a top-to-bottom review of the DV/SA unit, installed an additional supervisor, and dispatched me and our chief policy officer to meet with the presiding judge of the domestic violence division and her team to ensure open lines of communication."

Zoom out: These cases also put into focus the Pretrial Fairness Act, in which all defendants are presumed eligible for pretrial release unless prosecutors present convincing evidence that the defendant should be detained, Evans said in a statement.

• Beldie was fitted for a GPS monitoring device but Evans' report "revealed an apparent failure, by a GPS technician, to follow Adult Probation Department policy, in that a violation of an exclusion zone on Oct. 10 was not brought to the Court's attention."
• The technician was temporarily suspended without pay and resigned during the disciplinary process, the statement said.

What they're saying: "Domestic violence advocates must be part of the process as reforms are proposed and implemented in all areas of our justice system. We agree with the transfer of the judge at the center of this case and look forward to working with the State's Attorney's Office, Office of the Chief Judge, and the presiding judge of the Domestic Violence Division to keep survivors safe," Amanda Pyron from The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence said in a statement.

What's next: Evans said the court will collaborate with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office to ensure judges are presented with complete criminal history and any civil actions against a defendant in domestic violence court.

• Cook County Court will explore a risk assessment tool that includes an interview with the survivor — a recommendation from a statewide Domestic Violence Pretrial Practices Working Group.
• The court will work with the sheriff's office to deliver protective orders expeditiously and update policies to require that defendants potentially violating GPS monitoring conditions appear in court the following day.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a comment from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.