52 Comments - Commonsense in Illinois - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 1:47 pm: Rich, if I’m reading this correctly the gun convictions are two separate convictions, most likely for the same incident, (top) are concurrent, not consecutive. So if all statutory good time was credited for good behavior, its well and reasonable that the incarceration portion the sentence was service, but not the mandatory supervised release. That’s why he was not “discharged” from the sentence. Where the Commissioner loses his argument is that a sentence of incarceration has a defined end point after which the Department is unable to keep the person locked up. - Commonsense in Illinois - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 1:48 pm: Of course, that should be “served” not “service”. - Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 1:50 pm: ===the gun convictions are two separate convictions, most likely for the same incident=== It says “prior.” So I’m betting you’re wrong. Either way, two gun convictions and he walks after 2 years. Not good. - Bill Mill - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:03 pm: Maybe more jobs and a better educational system might help. I hope things get better. - blue dog dem - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:03 pm: I will give these two their day in court. If guilty, the death penalty. - Gooner - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:08 pm: Democrats had complete control of IL from 2002 to 2014. During that time, they kept locking up non-violent drug offender and to make room for them, released violent offenders. They could have done something, but chose to ignore the problem. When you see short terms for violent offenders, you have to place the blame there. The sad thing is that we might blame Republicans, but excepting IL Republicans to do anything at all is asking too much. - Anonymous - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:08 pm: @blue dog dem: Illinois abolished the death penalty several years ago. - Responsa - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:09 pm: From The Daily Beast: “Johnson explained that 1,400 people on the city’s “Strategic Subject List” are to blame for most of the gun violence that has claimed more than 435 lives so far this year. The majority of the people on the list are repeat gun offenders, Johnson said, adding that judges and the law are too lenient on them. For example, 75 percent of those arrested for illegal gun possession from January to March were out of jail by June, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Johnson ….is calling on lawmakers to require judges to put gun offenders away for the upper range of sentencing guidelines, unless they specify why less time behind bars is necessary. “If they’re choosing that lifestyle, we have to choose to keep them accountable for it,” Johnson added.== - Commonsense in Illinois - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:12 pm: Rich I’m going off the Date of Custody for the first guy. That tells me that they are for the same event (could be an indictment or information that was filed, but they came out of the same trial). Remember that it isn’t unusual for an individual to receive multiple charges for the same incident. That gives prosecutors (and often times juries) more than one bite at the apple. As for the second guy, he had two prior stints with IDOC, two which he completed both terms of incarceration and mandatory supervised release, so he was “discharged” from those. He’s now on his third conviction, and again it looks like two counts on which he was sentenced to serve concurrent sentences of six years. I’m wondering why on the third conviction of a crime of violence he didn’t qualify for a three-time-loser sentence of life without parole. Something to ask the State’s Attorney’s office about (since the sentencing judge probably won’t comment). - blue dog dem - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:14 pm: Yes. What a pity. If guilty, let’s lock these two up for another couple years and pray like heck that they are reformed during their prison stay. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:16 pm: ==A felony bust for possession/use of a firearm with a prior gun conviction (among other things) and he does just two years?== No, he did 3 years. Giving the guy 8 years of prison since he turned 17 didn’t keep Aldridge alive. Some people complain the magic number could have been 10. I guess that’s one response. - Hal - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:16 pm: == If they’re in prison, they’re not killing people on the street. == True. That was my sentiment in the comment thread on the earlier post about the prison population dropping. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:17 pm: == In addition to the sentencing history, Derren Sorrells had six felony arrests, said Fox News. == Arrests again. Real defenders of the Constitution over there. - IRLJ - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:26 pm: I’m no fan of the gun culture, or the Second Amendment fanatics’ lobby, but it’s not enough to say lock ‘em up and throw away the key. IIRC, the reason the sentencing structure for gun possession is the way it is, is because possessing a gun isn’t as much a societal problem…though I and others might disagree…as using one [resulting in the commission of such crimes as reckless or aggravated use of a firearm, attempt murder, murder, etc.]. Looking to the criminal justice system to save the likes of the innocent shooting victim is a failed effort. Might make you feel better to throw away the key, but you’re treating the cultural symptom, not the cause. - Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:28 pm: ===Might make you feel better to throw away the key=== Don’t argue like a child. Nobody is saying that. - Generation X - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:29 pm: The only way to force judges to swing the heavy sentencing stick is mandatory minimums. They are not going to explain themselves to anyone and who would be in charge of admonishing them if they dont follow guidelines. The reality is heavier sentences mean more time and crowding in Cook County because defendants won’t plead. Prosecutors, defense and the Court will continue to deal down these cases out of necessity. If they don’t, dockets get clogged and Murderers and Rapists are more prone to walk because of speedy trial demands. - DuPage Saint - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:29 pm: It is a mandatory minimum 5 years in Federal prison for a felon to be in the possession of a gun. Why dont the Feds get involved. Let Durbin push it make the Federal Attorneys prosecute. Otherwise just repeal the law - Jerry - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:31 pm: “I’m wondering why on the third conviction of a crime of violence he didn’t qualify for a three-time-loser sentence of life without parole. Something to ask the State’s Attorney’s office about (since the sentencing judge probably won’t comment).” Excuse me, but did somebody named “commonsense” just propose to *permanently” lock someone up for life for stealing cars and not carrying a piece of paper (ie, gun registration)? Wow, if that’s common sense, we’re headed for the dark ages again…. - Downstate - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:31 pm: I was chastised on here for suggesting the promotion of video cameras in neighborhood windows to promote neighborhood safety. (Call it the “Mrs. Kravitz Plan”). Interesting to note that video cameras are a significant portion of the evidence for this case. - Anon - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:32 pm: We need to look at the courthouse plea bargain culture at 26th Street. Judges, ASA’s, and PD’s all want to clear their docket — that’s their priority. And that’s how we end up with gun offenders getting similar sentences as drug offenders. Willing to plead guilty to a felony? Okay, avoid a trial and the threat of a long trip downstate. And sometimes the plea gets you released on probation — even for a repeat gun offense. Things might work better if Cook County had a judiciary that was actually held accountable. Judicial discretion doesn’t work so well when too few judges possess discretion. - milkman - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:40 pm: Both should have still been in jail and both are poster children for what’s wrong with early release! - Keyser Soze - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:40 pm: Unless I read it wrong, the motive for this shooting was that the parties shared glances. That is how the shooters value innocent life. They and others like them should be taken off the streets just as you would a rabid dog. Sorry ACLU. - Horst Cabal - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:45 pm: Perhaps we could all agree that being convicted for unlawful use or possession of a firearm by a felon brings a mandatory, minimum, sentence of ten years, to be served in its entirety. - Amalia - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:48 pm: oh the defense of violent gangbangers and their arrests! yep, GDs. and yep, solved quickly. probably because no one who was a witness or in the know wanted to have the shunning of those involved with Wade. Good for them for doing the right thing, for once. As for how long they were in, yep, not long enough. What I’d love to know is whether they have juvy records. Cops let kids go over and over with what was known as ’station adjustments’ and then they get a juvy record and then they become adult criminals. too many victims, not enough consequences learned early enough in life. these guys are young. they probably started at a much younger age. - Very fed up - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 2:50 pm: Of all the problems facing the state this feels like this should be the easiest to make progress. Which members of the legislature would want these 2 guys moving in next to them? They are the posterboys for a broken system. - Juice - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 3:00 pm: Rich, that is generally what CPD (particularly the McCarthy) is saying. From the 2011 conviction, it would appear the crime he committed was that he had a gun in his possession in a car. If he had committed a “violent” act, he would have been charged with discharging the weapon. So not knowing the specifics of his conviction, he could have been pulled over for speeding, its discovered he has a handgun in the car, and since he was under 21 at the time, and presumably not hunting, he’s guilty of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. And on the second charge, my guess is they were after the guy for the possession of the stolen car, and when they caught him he had a gun on him. This is a very tragic situation, but trying to come up with an objective standard of how long people should have been incarcerated because of what they may do in the future is tricky work, and I do think some people’s answers are typically to lock them up and be done with it. - Doug Simpson - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 3:08 pm: The NRA says everyone can have a gun. They have lawmakers in fear of their lives (no pun intended). Until this changes, nothing changes. I’m a Non Gun Owner, what are my rights? Or do I just have to accept that everyone with a gun gets to play Tuco and I’m just up shytes creek and better learn to duck and cover. - Slippin' Jimmy - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 3:40 pm: For me this isn’t complicated. Gang banging Felons ( especially those with forcible felony, firearm convictions) should not be running the streets illegally armed, chasing down innocent, law abiding citizens trying to kill same. Why Chicago Judges can’t impact the situation more effectively is what I can’t comprehend. - blue dog dem - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:18 pm: No Doug, the NRA says that every law abiding citizen has the right to self protect. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:25 pm: == yep, solved quickly. probably because no one who was a witness or in the know wanted to have the shunning of those involved with Wade. Good for them for doing the right thing, for once. == Always so nice to see the level of respect afforded to violent crime victims in this town. Ask Rhymefest, he knows all about that. - Amalia - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:28 pm: @Crazybleedingheart, your name sure is appropriate! the disrespect is for the gangbangers and their apologists. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:31 pm: No, you clearly said “witness.” I realize it’s lost on your associates, but people who see/hear/smell murder fall into the category of violent crime victims. - Commonsense in Illinois - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:40 pm: @ Jerry - your question is valid, of course. What I saw in the list of offenses for Darwin Sorrells was two counts of Aggravated Battery, one of which added the charge of causing great bodily harm. Then came the Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon for which he received five years on the single conviction. Then he was convicted on a Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon as part of the stolen vehicle conviction. All three, I believe, qualify him for the three-time loser provision, but I could be wrong so that’s why I was asking (albeit probably not as clearly as you wanted). Whether or not you agree with a three-time loser provision is besides the point. The point is that it is part of the statute - has been for years - so why didn’t prosecutors seek its imposition during sentencing…or did they? - Responsa - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:49 pm: Amalia–this statement straight from the mouth of Eddie Johnson verifies your excellent point: “When asked about the difference in solving Aldridge’s killing within days compared with the overwhelming majority of homicides that don’t end in arrests, Johnson pointed to the community as being more cooperative because of the high-profile nature of the case. “You know why we captured them right away? Because the community helped us with it,” Johnson said. “Police officers very rarely witness crime, especially murder or aggravated battery with a firearm. … We take every death in Chicago seriously, but we need the community’s help to bring these cases to a successful resolution.” (Chicago Tribune Aug. 29) - JoanP - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:51 pm: “A felony bust for possession/use of a firearm with a prior gun conviction (among other things) and he does just two years?” How do you figure that? Am I missing something? According to what you’ve quoted, he was placed on mandatory supervised release on 2/10/16, and had a custody date of 1/10/13 on the felon in possession. That’s three years on a 6 year sentence, on a charge on which he was entitled to day-for-day good time. - Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 4:54 pm: ===the three-time loser provision=== Only applies to Class X felonies. - anonymouse - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 5:08 pm: IDOC has a webpage. You can see the class of offense and the case number. It eliminates a lot of the speculation as to whether convictions were a result of the same offenses. This much should be clear. Laws IDOC regulations put violent offenders right back out on the street. http://www.illinois.gov/idoc/Offender/Pages/InmateSearch.aspx - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 5:11 pm: ==Only applies to Class X felonies.== For mandatory life, yes. But the fact remains that he was eligible for enhanced charges and sentencing under current law. I’m sure Anita has someone else to blame for her charging decisions. - JoanP - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 5:19 pm: @crazybleedingheart- He did get an enhanced charge. The Felon in Possession was a Class 2, rather than a Class 3, because of his prior. And he got twice the minimum sentence. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 5:23 pm: Agreed, Joan. I don’t think he should have been charged more. I think he could have been charged more. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 5:33 pm: ==I think he could have been charged more.== Meaning that because the problem is not with the law, the dingdongs trying to use him as an excuse to pass a bill are flat out lying. Again. - JoanP - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 6:03 pm: @crazybleedingheart - With what? Specifically? - August West - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 6:09 pm: This will, obviously, be a setback for efforts to reduce prison population. The hard truth is, there are going to be folks with substantial criminal histories who commit awful crimes after getting breaks. To some extent, it goes with the territory. This said, what on earth is up with allowing folks with ankle bracelets to remove them for eight hours a day while they look for work? I’ve looked for a lot of jobs in my time. Never have I had a potential employer order me to pull up my trouser cuff to check for an ankle bracelet. Lord knows what sorts of escapades this clown engaged in while “looking for work” that we’ll never know about. I suspect the rationale will be, this was the equivalent of work release–just as folks on work release walk the streets for eight hours a day, so, too, do folks with electronic monitoring get to remove their monitoring equipment. If, in fact, this is the reason, it’s beyond silly. If you’re on electronic monitoring, you’ve already gotten some semblance of a break. Just unbelievable. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 6:25 pm: Truly sorry, Joan, but prosecution assists are someone else’s department. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 6:33 pm: The mayor of Chicago has spent a term plus complaining about our laws. I’m sure by now someone his office can explain to the public exactly why no higher charges were available in this “Exhibit A” case. - Ex Felon - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 6:34 pm: IDOC’s ankle bracelet program is a joke. I was on an ankle bracelet after being released from prison for committing a white collar financial crime. IDOC would call at literally 2 or 3 am to say that my bracelet showed I had left the house 6 or 7 hours earlier. (I hadn’t.) Why would they wait that long? I could have been 4 states away by then. All I had to tell them was “No. Been home all night.” They took my word for it and that was it. I wasn’t lying but I have bad news for IDOC. Criminals are notorious for being liars. They had to replace the bracelet twice before it started to work correctly. - FormerParatrooper - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 7:29 pm: Repeat violent felons do not need to be on the streets, unless they are supervised and doing community service like cleaning the roadway or parks. These two were apprehended only because the victim was related to someone famous. Too bad all the rest of the innocents killed by these criminals are not related to anyone so people will care. - park - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 9:56 pm: Certain areas of the City are just out of control. Lock these kind of guys up for years, and people will be complaining about the US incarceration rate. Guns are obviously a real issue. I’d like to know what it would take to keep guns away from gangbangers. Restrictive Illinois laws don’t seem to work. National? maybe, but it would take years and years of restrictions on law-abiding gun owners before it affects these felons. Wish it were easier. - Amalia - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 10:14 pm: “people who see/hear/smell murder fall into the category of violent crime victims.” give me a break. family and friends who are near violent crime but won’t give up “my baby my baby” are part of the problem. not everyone is innocent. and you insult the real victims with your victimhood of the hood. - Amalia - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 10:20 pm: @ Responsa, why thank you so very much! can you imagine the hell that someone who knew something and did not give it up would have to pay when word got around that they could have helped DWade’s family and did not? neighborhood justice is what happened. and it should happen more. - DuPage Bard - Monday, Aug 29, 16 @ 10:48 pm: Sadly, these two men just insured that any strides made towards reducing our prison population and criminal justice reform will not be happening soon. What legislator is going to run any bill or vote for any bill now that has release or parole attached to it? The Gov has to watch for his own Willie Horton hit with this right now. - Rod - Tuesday, Aug 30, 16 @ 7:12 am: It is now appearing that the man who drove Nykea Aldridge to Dulles elementary school was no Uber driver, but may have been the father of her last child who was himself possibly gang affiliated. The two perpetrators somehow suspected his affiliation and exchanged stares with him prior to the shooting. There are also totally unconfirmed reports that the driver the perpetrators were shooting at may himself have been armed. The shooting likely isn’t as random as it appeared in the first media reports, it is tragic however. The truth is gang culture is so deep that it does extend to the church community which Nykea was part of and just being around a gang member in some communities can be a death sentence. The reality was Nykea at age 32 had no job was still trying to get through a community college early childhood education program with four children by multiple fathers and can be seen in photos with a gold necklace labeled “sexy.” She did not deserve to die for being poor and born into a culture of poverty here in Chicago, but the story may turn out to be more complex than it appears. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.