>>> RETURN TO SOME OTHER VOICES ON DAY ONE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SO-CALLED NO CASH BAIL LAW.

HOW IS IT GOING ACROSS THE REGION AND STATE?

JOINING US OUR SHERIFF MIKE DOWNEY AND LAKE COUNTY STATES ATTORNEY ERIC REINHARDT.

WE ARE GLAD THAT BOTH OF YOUR WITH US.

'S OF STATES ATTORNEY, YOU HEARD ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING UP -- GOING ON IN COOK COUNTY COURTROOMS.

SEEMS LIKE A NORMAL DAY.

HOW ABOUT HEARINGS IN LAKE COUNTY?

>> THEY WENT ACCORDING TO WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

OUR COURT PERSONNEL, JUDGES, CLERKS, DEPUTIES, PROSECUTORS, AND MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN TRAINING SINCE THE DECISION CAME DOWN FROM THE SUPREME COURT.

WE TRAINED IN DECEMBER 2022, NOVEMBER 2022.

MY FIRST CONCERN WAS TRAINING LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THEY UNDERSTOOD WHETHER THERE WERE ANY REAL DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO ARREST INDIVIDUALS.

THAT WAS A GREAT FOCUS OF TRAINING AND THAT'S WHAT I HAD PERSONALLY BEEN TRAINING OFFICERS ON.

I'VE CONDUCTED, MYSELF, SIX OR SEVEN TRAINING STRESS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THINGS WENT WELL AND WE WERE READY.

WE FILED DETENTION PETITIONS ON DOMESTIC BATTERERS, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD A GUN ON A PARADE, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO COMMITTED A RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY, WE FILED A DETENTION ON SOMEONE WHO POSTED CASH BAIL AFTER THEY AGGRAVATED LEE BATTERED A PEACE OFFICER.

$35,000 AFTER A BATTERING OF A POLICE OFFICER AND WE FILED A DETENTION PETITION ON THAT INDIVIDUAL TODAY AFTER THEY COMMITTED A NEW OFFENSE.

>> SO YOU ARE GIVING US A SENSE OF THE RANGE.

>> WE FILED SEVERAL DETENTION PETITIONS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE HELD WHILE WE AWAIT A LONGER DETENTION HEARING.

>> OKAY SO THERE'S A LONGER DETENTION HEARING AND PERHAPS THEY WILL BE HELD UNTIL THEIR TRIAL.

SHERIFF, WE SHOULD MENTION THAT YOU ARE AT A SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION MEETING RIGHT NOW IN PEORIA.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES DOWN THERE?

WE SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PRETTY CRITICAL OF THIS LAW.

>> I THINK AS HE SAID, EVERYBODY HAS BEEN TRAINING.

WE WERE READY TO GO JANUARY 1 OF 2023 AFTER THE SUPREME COURT STATED AND MADE THE RULING, WE WENT THROUGH TRAINING AS WELL SO LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS READY , AS WAS EVERYONE IN THE COURTHOUSE.

WE ARE ON A WAIT-AND-SEE BASIS RIGHT NOW, REALLY.

>> AND SHERIFF ONE OF YOUR CRITICISMS OF THE PAST WAS THAT JUDGES WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH DISCRETION TO SORT OF, DETERMINE WHO WOULD HAVE TO BE HELD WITHOUT BAIL .

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DID GO BACK AND TWEAK SOME OF THIS.

DID THEY ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS?

>> OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW, THE LAW WAS WRITTEN AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH THREE OR FOUR TRAILER BILLS AND I'M SURE THERE ARE MORE TO COME.

BUT TO ADDRESS THEM FULLY, NO.

THERE IS CERTAINLY MORE WORK TO DO.

WE HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATORS WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE SO FROM A DISCRETION STANDPOINT, JUDGES HAVE HAD DISCRETION NOW.

STATES ATTORNEYS APPEAR IN COURT EVERY DAY AND IF THEY FEEL SOMEONE SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED THEN THEY OBVIOUSLY WANT A HIGH BOND.

IF THEY FEEL SOMEONE SHOULD BE RELEASED THEY CAN.

THEY'VE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE THIS LAW CAME INTO EFFECT SO TO SAY THAT WE CHANGED EVERYTHING AND MADE IT BETTER, WE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY PRIOR TO THIS LAW BEING CHANGED.

SO NOW WE'VE TAKEN AWAY SOME OF THAT BECAUSE CERTAIN OFFENSES JUDGES CANNOT CONTAIN.

EVEN IF THESE PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE CONTINUING TO WREAK HAVOC ON BUSINESSES , WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THEM?

DO YOU CONTINUE TO RELEASE THEM, WRITE THEM CITATIONS .

IF THEY DO NOT FOLLOW THE LAWS THAT THERE ARE NOW WHY WOULD THEY FOLLOW A PIECE OF PAPER ON THE CITATION?

THEY ARE NOT GOING TO.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE DIFFERENT OFFENSES THAT YOU WERE SEEKING DETENTION FOR IT.

I'M ASSUMING BECAUSE PROSECUTORS HAVE DETERMINED THAT THESE FOLKS MAY BE EITHER A FLIGHT RISK OR A THREAT TO SOMEBODY OR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

DO YOU TRUST THAT JUDGES ARE GOING TO USE CORRECT DISCRETION AND DEEM THE FOLKS THAT YOU BELIEVE SHOULD NOT BE OUT, THAT THEY SHOULD STAY IN JAIL AWAITING TRIAL?

>> YES.

THIS IS GOING TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.

WE HAVE THE SAME GOALS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.

TODAY ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SOUGHT TO DETAIN POSTED $35,000.

I BET THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

I BET A PROSECUTOR SAID WE WOULD LIKE A HIGH CASH BOND BECAUSE HE BATTERED A BROTHER OR SISTER POLICE OFFICER.

HE POSTED 35,000 REAL DOLLARS.

I BET THAT PROSECUTOR AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, I BET THAT JUDGE, THOUGHT THAT WAS A HIGH BOND.

ONE OF YOUR REPORTERS MENTION THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.

ONE OF THE MOVING PARTS IS, HOW MUCH MONEY DO PEOPLE HAVE?

THEY DON'T FILE 1040S TO COURT WHEN THEY GET ARRESTED.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY CRIMINALS HAVE.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THE FAMILIES OF CRIMINALS HAVE.

THIS SYSTEM ALLOWS US TO FILE DETENTION PETITIONS.

WHEN DETENTION PETITIONS ARE PENDING THE INDIVIDUAL IS HELD.

WHEN IT IS GRANTED, AS I SUSPECT ALL OF OUR DETENTION PETITIONS THAT WE FILED TODAY WILL BE GRANTED, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HELD UNTIL WE RESOLVE THE CASE.

THAT'S WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE SAFER.

AND I HAVE A BIG ISSUE, YOU SAID DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS GROUPS HAS QUESTION.

EVERY MAJOR GROUP WAS SUPPORTS THIS REFORM AND THAT'S WHY I DO AS WELL.

>> SHERIFF, DO YOU THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, JUDGES ARE ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF WHO THEY BELIEVE SHOULD BE HELD WITHOUT BAIL AND WHO SHOULD NOT?

>> WELL, YES.

OBVIOUSLY OUR STATES ATTORNEY WHO OBVIOUSLY WAS THE LEAD ATTORNEY IN THE LAWSUIT THAT WAS FILED , HE IS VERY PRO-LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WANTS TO KEEP THOSE THAT NEED TO BE LOCKED UP, LOCKED UP.

JUDGES, I DON'T KNOW MAYBE HE WOULD DISAGREE BUT NONE OF US CAN GUESS ON WHAT JUDGES ARE GOING TO DO.

SOME WILL BE, SOME WILL WANT TO GRANT ALL OF THE PETITIONS, SOME MAY NOT.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE, IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE DETERMINED BY EACH CASE.

IT'S A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS AND I THINK THAT WE AS LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE BELIEVE , AND I KNOW IT WAS SAID EARLIER THAT YOU THINK, SOMEBODY THINKS IT'S GOING TO COOK KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFER, I DON'T.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.

IT'S GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT TO SERVE WARRANTS, THIS LAW GIVES NO INCENTIVE FOR SOMEONE TO SHOW UP IN COURT.

IT REALLY DOESN'T.

WE'VE GOT 6000 ACTIVE WARRANTS IN KANKAKEE COUNTY AND FOR THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW, SERVING A WARRANT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST, THE MOST DANGEROUS JOBS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS.

IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT LAW ENFORCEMENT HOMICIDES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED, MOST OF THOSE HAVE BEEN WHILE TRYING TO SERVE A WARRANT.

>> WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF SECONDS LEFT, YOU WANTED TO JUST GET IN REAL QUICK?

THE SAFETY ACT DOES NOT CHANGE THE WARRANTS, HOW THEY ARE SERVED.

YOU HAVE TO PROTECT LAW ENFORCEMENT EVERY DAY AND THE NUMBER THAT HE SAID WERE ACTIVE WAS UNDER A CASH SYSTEM.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE FEWER BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HOLD PEOPLE WHILE THEIR CASE IS PENDING.

>> THIS IS DAY ONE .

>> THEY STILL HAVE TO SHOW UP