246 on electronic monitoring missing in Cook County
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
At least 246 defendants released on electronic monitoring in Cook County are currently unaccounted for despite warrants being issued for their arrests.
Why it matters: The revelation comes weeks after prosecutors charged Alphanso Talley in the fatal April 25 shooting of Chicago police officer John Bartholomew.
- Court records show Talley also violated the terms of his electronic monitoring and was the subject of an unserved warrant before the shooting.
Driving the news: Officials with the Office of the Chief Judge released the data this week, calling it part of their "commitment to transparency."
- The office did so only after repeated Axios requests dating back to April 29.
What they're saying: "Transparency is not optional — it is a core obligation of this office. The public has a right to know how this program operates, what the data shows and what we are doing every day to make it stronger," Chief Judge Charles S. Beach said in a statement.
- "We are releasing this information because that is what accountability looks like."
By the numbers: More than half of the defendants released on EM in Cook County are charged with either a violent crime or weapons charges, according to an Axios analysis of county data.
- Yes, but: The Office of the Chief Judge did not respond to Axios questions about how many of the 246 people currently unaccounted for on electronic monitoring were charged with violent crimes.
State of play: On Wednesday, Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said she was alarmed by the data, telling Axios:
- "We should all be deeply concerned that hundreds of defendants placed on EM are unaccounted for. This creates the potential for more violence, more victims, more fear and heartache in our community."
- "Violent offenders who pose a danger to the public are being released back into the community on Electronic Monitoring (EM). This data is alarming and clearly demonstrates how current safeguards are falling short, particularly when EM is available to those charged with the most threatening and heinous crimes."
The other side: The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, which advocates for criminal justice reform, told Axios it's important to "understand how law enforcement handles arrest warrants and when they prioritize serving them, but public policy shouldn't be driven by a relatively small number of failures."
- "The reality is that the vast majority of people on EM are succeeding—which demonstrates exactly why it would be unnecessary and unjust to argue instead for their incarceration in Cook County Jail."
What's next: Chicago police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Bartholomew's killing.
- Ald. Silvana Tabares is expected to present a formal proposal for hearings on the warrant process at next Wednesday's City Council meeting.