The plan to empty out the Cook County Jail hit a snag Friday as Taphia Williams filed a lawsuit against Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. She asserts the sheriff interfered with her pretrial release and right of being placed on home monitoring via ankle bracelet. (“Jailed woman sues Sheriff Tom Dart over delayed release into electronic monitoring” – Feb. 28).
Since Dart, Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle, and a slew of other prominent Democrats introduced the revolving door policy of bonding in the Criminal Courts System, defendants being held on alleged vicious crimes are now demanding release before their trials.
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Williams is suing Dart for instant release according to Dart’s own philosophy of pre-trial bonding. She was held in jail for over 60 hours, awaiting bond, even after Chicago Community Bond Fund posted her ridiculously low bond of five thousand dollars. She is charged with aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated domestic violence and unlawful restraint. She was released into electric monitoring on Monday.
Two other prominent individuals were released on electric monitoring per Sheriff Dart’s slippery slope of bonding; one was arrested by the Chicago Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit with a warrant for aggravated battery, later upgraded to attempted murder. He’s now out on electric monitoring. Another lucky soul was let to bond and is now on electric monitoring for alleged possession of a firearm. He had previously been arrested in connection with a murder.
As you see, the bond system is working well and very advantageously for alleged criminals. Too bad Sheriff Dart and his fellow Dems are ignoring the pain and suffering of the victims.
Larry Casey, Forest Glen
With unions it’s no pain no gain
“Forced participation” is what Donald Nauyokas’ letter to the editor on Thursday (“Those who tear down Illinois miss what’s great” – Feb 28) called the mandatory paying of “fair share” fees. He states that workers should have the right to not pay for union negotiations and representation in the workplace.
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Janus (and Rauner), let them also rule that “free riders” will not benefit from the wages, benefits and working conditions won through union efforts. Let them stand-alone and negotiate their own conditions of employment as a David with the corporate Goliaths. See how far that gets them!
Peter J. Skrzypczynski, Brighton Park
With one promise the rest could follow
We know, because he has told us repeatedly, that our president is a very intelligent, very well educated person. It doesn’t take much smarts to know that military weapons should not be available to private citizens. If the president will promise his support, those people in Congress might — just might — have the courage to stand up to the NRA and pass legislation banning the sale of assault weapons.
Dan McGuire, Bensenville
