Today, Eileen O’Neill Burke was sworn in as Cook County State’s Attorney and quickly announced policy changes.
Under her leadership, O’Neill Burke declared that prosecutors will now seek pre-trial detention for suspects charged with certain crimes. Under the recently passed SAFE-T Act, judges have the discretion to incarcerate defendants without possibility of posting bail.
The list of crimes announced by O’Neill Burke includes:
– every detainable felony offense where an offender used or possessed a firearm equipped with an extended magazine, drum magazine, automatic switch, or used a ghost gun or defaced firearm;
– any domestic violence-related, stalking or sex offense where the offender used or possessed a weapon;
– any detainable felony offense that is committed on public transportation;
– all Murder or Class X felony offenses (e.g., First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Arson, Aggravated Battery of a Child, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking, Armed Robbery, Home Invasion, Solicitation of Murder)
– all sex offenses where the victim was under the age of 13 and the offender was an adult throughout the duration of the offense or when the offense was committed during the commission of another felony; and
– all cases involving the manufacture, dissemination, or possession of child pornography
Beginning on Monday, prosecutors will seek detention for anyone accused of these crimes.