Low Bonds Endanger Victims?

Who would have thought it?

• Cook County judges have sharply lowered bonds for people accused of violent domestic attacks and prosecutors are dropping more of these cases, placing victims at risk as potentially dangerous suspects are released from custody, a Tribune investigation has found.
  
  The changes follow efforts by top county officials to reduce jail overcrowding and address long-standing racial inequities in bonds that can keep defendants in custody simply because they cannot pay. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle implemented the new measures with the support of State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Chief Judge Timothy Evans.
  
  Advocates for battered women applaud the intent of those reforms but say prosecutors and judges are now releasing suspects without fully considering the safety of domestic battery survivors.

Bail isn't based on race - it's based on the severity of the crime and the likelihood of the defendant sticking around for trial. And domestic victims are going at particularly higher risk for retaliation.

And not that anyone cares, but the Tribune is merely piggybacking on the CWB report from over a week ago regarding a shuffling of bond court judges:

• Changes are coming to Cook County bond court, the daily spectacle at 26th and California where terms are established for the pre-trial release of newly-accused criminal defendants.
  
  Three judges responsible for setting bail and release conditions are being transferred to new assignments. Two of their replacements have already begun “shadowing” the sitting judges to learn the ropes of the job.
  
  The changes were made by Chief Judge Timothy Evans in a series of written orders dated April 8th and April 17th. CWBChicago received copies of the orders today.

CWB reminds readers that one particular judge being moved out of bond court was an early pioneer of low/no bail defendants, one of whom was let to bond on numerous violent felony and gun charges, and ended up murdering someone mere months later. But hey, as long as Dart's jail sits empty.....