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* Tribune…
A plan to impose stiffer sentences for felons convicted of gun crimes narrowly cleared an early hurdle Thursday after Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson asked state lawmakers for help in cracking down on repeat offenders.
Johnson appeared before an Illinois Senate committee to back the proposal, which would increase the sentencing guidelines for judges deciding punishment for repeat gun felons. Instead of a range of three to 14 years, judges would hand out sentences of seven to 14 years. A judge could depart from that guideline under certain circumstances.
Johnson has for months has been calling for lawmakers to take action as the Chicago Police Department continues to face a surge of street violence.
“This is about creating a culture of accountability,” he said.
* Sun-Times…
“They make the decision to pull the trigger because they don’t fear our judicial system,” Johnson said. “If they fear the judicial system, then it is a deterrent.”
He said passage of the bill would show repeat gun offenders “we’re serious about holding them accountable.”
Johnson, however, noted he’s “uneasy” with some provisions of the bill, including reducing the sentencing for those charged with possession of 100 grams or more of cocaine, heroin or fentanyl.
“To be clear, the drug trade is what drives the gang violence in Chicago and lessening the consequence for high level narcotic dealing and possession makes me very uncomfortable,” Johnson said.
Republicans voted against the bill because of the sentencing reduction aspects.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:07 pm
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How about creating accountability by having County President Preckwinkle, Sheriff Dart, and State’s Attorney Foxx calling for criminals to serve their terms and not advocating that the jail be emptied?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:19 pm
@Anonymous 4:19 -
How about you understanding that people in the jail are, for the most part, pre-trial detainees who don’t HAVE a “term” to serve?
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:20 pm
==They make the decision to pull the trigger because they don’t fear our judicial system==
No. They make the decisions to pull the trigger because either they have little to lose and more power to gain when people fear them.
Lawmakers like him should look to the experts, i.e. criminologists, to determine the most effective public policies to decrease gun violence and drug use. Stop wasting my tax dollars on ineffective legislation meant to make you look tough on crime and start pushing for expertly informed policy making.
Comment by Sick & Tired Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:27 pm
I’m confused as to what this does that Class X does not.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:31 pm
Do these Republican members really believe that harsh criminal penalties have been an effective means of discouraging the use or sale of drugs? Do they think we are in the midst of a heroin and opioid epidemic because we just haven’t arrested or imprisoned enough people? How many more people need to die for them to realize that the policies of the drug war have been a complete failure?
Comment by charles in charge Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:43 pm
Drugs are bad and that is the very reason that they should be controlled via regulations with licensed producers and distributors instead of by criminals. Prohibition still doesn’t work.
The 21st Amendment did more to curb violence than any tough on crime policy.
Comment by frisbee Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:49 pm
- Do they think we are in the midst of a heroin and opioid epidemic because we just haven’t arrested or imprisoned enough people? -
Actually, for that particular problem, arresting some big pharm execs and crooked doctors would help.
Comment by Daniel Plainview Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:49 pm
Chuck. Just when are Democrats going to realize that failing to enforce existing gun laws precludes the rationale for creating even more gun Laws.
Comment by blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:50 pm
Not sure how going from 3-14 to 7-14 is going to make criminals “fear” the judicial system but whatever.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:50 pm
Even if they do not fear being in prison 7-14 yrs, at least those repeat offenders will not be on the street repeating those offenses creating additional victims.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 4:54 pm
I know Chicago officials are desperate to reduce the gun violence. But-
Isn’t a lot of gun violence impulsive in nature–meaning that except on the margins, awareness of higher penalties wouldn’t have an effect.
As for those who plan to shoot others ahead of time-aren’t they too evil to care?
Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 5:01 pm
Regardless of how stiff the laws on the books are, if the judiciary uses their discretion to issue sentences less than what the law allows, what is the point of the stiffer laws?
Y
Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 5:13 pm
Right, increasing the sentencing range is “deterrence” because gang members will stop doing what they do because the min is 7 not 3. The solution is education and programing so that people have an alternatives to joining a gang.
Comment by The 647 Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 5:39 pm
“Do these Democratic members really believe that harsh criminal penalties have been an effective means of discouraging the use or sale of guns? Do they think we are in the midst of a spike in murders and gun violence because we just haven’t arrested or imprisoned enough people? How many more people need to die for them to realize that the policies of the anti-gun lobby have been a complete failure?”
FTFY. I mean, if you didn’t see the irony of your post, that’s on you.
Comment by ChrisB Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 5:44 pm
People who shoot people in gang warfare face a very good chance of being shot in street justice retaliation. If that does not deter them I doubt a new sentencing law will.
Comment by Jimk849 Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 5:59 pm
don”t go far enough should be 20 first time 30 the second life thethird. as far drugs they should be forced to care for a young person who is about to die because of drug abuse. also legalize the weed.
Comment by jw Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 6:12 pm
We’ve been “tough on crime” for 40 years, and all it produced was an explosion in prison population, with no rehabilitation. That whole deterrence approach has been a disaster for our country.
Comment by walker Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 6:28 pm
Until we can stop the guns from crossing borders(since over 60% of those used in gun crime in Chicago are from other states) and start investing in the south and west sides, instead of using TIFF money for basketball stadiums for a private university(among other things), we’re not going to change anything.
If Illinois actually wants to change this, we need to invest in education, invest in community projects and jobs, no silly law is going to change the problems.
Comment by Union Thug Gramma Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 6:43 pm
Chicago cops seized about 8,500 illegal guns last year, NYC about 3,000.
Those felons got those guns from someone who at least was able to portray themselves as a law-abiding citizen somewhere in the process.
Any of our NRA or ISRA friends out there have any theories as to why it’s so easy for a felon to get their hands on a gun in Illinois?
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 7:10 pm
Word. Maybe because we require a FOID card?
Comment by blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 8:17 pm
Word. I would like a fact check on your second paragraph.
Comment by blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 8:22 pm
Estimates are that there are some 300 million firearms in the United States. Roughly one per person.
The police seizing 8,500 guns has little effect.
The gangs can get guns the same way they get drugs; from people who look honest and are not.
Some guns are stolen and resold. Remember the stories of train cars being robbed. If heroin can get here from Afghanistan, do you think you can stop weapons?
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 8:26 pm
I support this bill, but we need to raise the penalty for unlawful use of a weapon from a misdemeanor to a felony also. Superintendent Johnson is wrong though when he says:”To be clear, the drug trade is what drives the gang violence in Chicago…” The real problem is drug prohibition which empowers the gangs.
Comment by striketoo Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 9:20 pm
===“They make the decision to pull the trigger because they don’t fear our judicial system,” Johnson said. “If they fear the judicial system, then it is a deterrent.”===
If the head of the EPA hadn’t denied Carbon Dioxide’s involvement with climate change today, this would be the most ridiculously inaccurate thing I heard a public servant say today.
Comment by TaxesBuyCivilization Thursday, Mar 9, 17 @ 9:28 pm
** Those felons got those guns from someone who at least was able to portray themselves as a law-abiding citizen somewhere in the process. **
I’m sure this does happen, but straw purchasing is already a federal crime. Anyone doing this on a large scale could find themselves dealing with the FBI or ATF.
Comment by CornCob Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 8:49 am
@blue dog dem & ChrisB:
Did you listen to the committee debate? The Republicans were more than ready to vote for new gun laws; their complaint was that they wanted to vote on the City’s gun legislation a la carte, without any of the sensible sentencing reform measures that were attached.
Comment by charles in charge Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 8:55 am
=== Republicans voted against the bill because of the sentencing reduction aspects. ===
That’s because DOC costs don’t count when balancing the budget. At least according to GOP accounting.
Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:13 am