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* ICYMI: Opening statements are scheduled to begin this morning in the federal corruption trial of Paul La Schiazza. Capitol News Illinois…
* Related stories…
* WAND | Illinois agency criticized for implementation of child care provider grant program: The Smart Start grant program was created to help day care providers recruit and retain workers without burdening families by raising tuition or co-pays. However, the Illinois Department of Human Services implemented the grant program without a top committee of state lawmakers approving the rules. JCAR members noted that DHS did not file rules for the grant program until July 5, 2024. Yet, the agency had already opened and closed the application process for the grant program before filing the rules. “While the department cited the need to negotiate with stakeholders and obtain appropriations for the program as the reason for the delay in promulgating rules, the consultation and rulemaking processes could have been started any time after the public act became effective,” JCAR wrote.
* PJ Star | ‘Serious criminal charges’ possible as Peoria police investigating anti-violence group: Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said she has not yet had any discussions with the City/County Board of Health about its decision to cut ties with the Cure Violence initiative but did say she “respects their decision” and understands that there were “capacity issues” with some of the non-profits awarded money. “I think there became some problems along the way from what I understand, again without many real details, I think there were some capacity issues,” Ali told the Journal Star. “I was disappointed, of course, that Cure Violence is not likely to continue or happen for Peoria. It is a national and international strategy and project that has happened very successfully in other cities across the world and across the nation.”
* Capitol News Illinois | Supreme Court hears cases pertaining to detention under the SAFE-T Act: The second case the court heard Tuesday concerned Christian Mikolaitis, 19, of Elwood, who was arrested in December 2023 and charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for allegedly stabbing another individual during a drug deal. Prosecutors filed a petition to hold Mikolaitis pending trial, arguing that he continued to pose a real and present danger to the victim. But they did not make an argument as to why conditions of release could not mitigate the risk he posed.
* Block Club | City To Close Troubled Pilsen Migrant Shelter, 2 Others As Pace Of New Arrivals Slows: The city is closing three more migrant shelters — including one of its largest and most troubled — as a federal order slows border crossings and a pledge to send more buses during the Democratic National Convention did not materialize. Next month, the city will close the three shelters located at a Pilsen warehouse, 2241 S. Halsted St., a West Loop office building, 344 N. Ogden Ave., and Kenwood’s Lakeshore Hotel, 4900 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, a Department of Family and Support Services spokesperson said in a statement.
* Tribune | As shelters close, a CPS migrant family sleeps in a truck to stay close to school: Facing pressure to leave the shelter from city officials but wanting to stay near his son’s school, Reynaldo’s father Yohan Perdomo, 37, made the decision to sleep in the truck instead of move elsewhere. “If I had a job, I would rent an apartment and move us there,” said Perdomo, who has struggled to find stable work for the past eight months to move them out of a migrant shelter on the Lower West Side.
* Fox Chicago | One of Chicago Mayor Johnson’s top aides calls police ‘f—ing pigs’ in 2021 podcast: Kennedy Bartley allegedly made the comments during a 2021 podcast interview. She is currently Johnson’s Managing Deputy for External Relations, a position that was created for her back in May. […] The comments came as part of a conversation about the killing of Elijah McClain, a suburban Denver man, at the hands of police and paramedics.
* Sun-Times | Victim recalls tire-cutting that led to charges against 2 Chicago cops: ‘They just started slashing’: Police officials sought felony charges against the officers, but they weren’t approved by prosecutors. “After a thorough review of the information presented to us by police, it was determined that the evidence was insufficient to meet our burden of proof to file felony charges,” according to a spokesperson for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
* ABC Chicago | Northwest Side residents ask city to remove homeless encampment from Gompers Park: ‘It’s not safe’: Members of the Restore Gompers Park Coalition delivered petitions to the alderperson’s office Tuesday morning, asking that the city begin moving them out of the park. They say those living there are part of the unhoused population and are not migrants or recent arrivals. “We want proper housing for these individuals. We’re not saying kick them out and put them on the street,” said Gail Fritz with the Restore Gompers Park Coalition.
* Sun-Times | Transgender woman slain on West Side; family calls for hate crime investigation: Redd is the first trans woman killed in Chicago this year, though violence against trans women is often underreported. At least 14 transgender and gender-nonconforming people have been killed in Chicago since 2016, according to data compiled by the Sun-Times, and the majority of those cases remain unsolved.
* Sun-Times | Hot mic still smoldering? Former judge caught insulting lawyer is facing state complaint: The complaint against former Associate Judge William Raines was filed in August by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which accused him of violating its code of conduct. […] After Bonjean left the Zoom hearing, Raines began talking to others in the virtual courtroom, describing Bonjean’s demeanor during the proceedings as “entertaining.” “Did you see her going nuts? Glasses off, fingers through her hair, the phone’s going all over the place. It’s insane,” Raines said, according to the commission’s complaint filing.
* Daily Herald | DuPage County Clerk asks for private attorney to represent her: The DuPage County state’s attorney’s office last week filed the lawsuit that claims Kaczmarek is breaking state law because she has refused to indicate from where in her budget a bill should be paid when the dedicated budget line item does not have enough money to cover a bill’s payment. Kaczmarek’s request for a private attorney comes days after DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin filed a motion requesting that a special state’s attorney be appointed to represent the clerk since his office cannot represent both her and the county in the legal dispute.
* AP | Protections sought for prison workers in closing of aging Illinois prison: On Tuesday, 187 inmates remained at Stateville, AFSCME spokesperson Anders Lindall said. When plaintiffs in the case sought an injunction in July to shutter Stateville, AFSCME expected Corrections to oppose it, according to the complaint. It says that days before Wood’s ruling, AFSCME and the Department of Central Management Services, the state’s personnel agency, agreed that bargaining over the employee impact of Stateville’s shutdown was premature because Corrections’ plans were not finalized.
* Naperville Sun | Changes in state legislation prompt Naperville Park District to consider ban on e-scooters, altered drone regulations: The modification is in response to a state measure that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law last month. The legislation — Senate Bill 1960 — created a definition for “low-speed electric scooter” in Illinois Vehicle Code and provides a regulatory framework for the operation of electric scooters by local governments that authorize their use by ordinance.
* Shaw Local | Joliet, Lockport bridges top list of IDOT projects for Will County: Bridge repairs and replacements top the Illinois Department of Transportation’s ongoing and planned infrastructure projects in Will County over the next six years. Ten projects across the county represent a total investment of $118 million through the Rebuild Illinois capital program, according to a news release from IDOT.
* WAND | Springfield Police Chief says disgraced Sgt. failed his oath: The chief said during the meeting, “That oath doesn’t end the day that you retire, that oath is something you take with you to your grave. That man failed this oath, that man embarrassed the profession of law enforcement. That man should be ashamed of his actions, his selfish actions that led to such a horrific crash.” Egan had just retired. Chief Scarlett also reiterated his commitment to a transparent internal investigation of his office.
* SJ-R | Former Springfield Police sergeant pleads not guilty in aggravated DUI case: Egan, said Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser, was released from custody with conditions after the hearing. Egan cannot legally drive a vehicle or go to any bars. He must undergo a drug and alcohol assessment and cooperate with probation. Braud set an Oct. 3 preliminary hearing for Egan, who faces 1 to 12 years behind bars if convicted. The charge is probation eligible.
* WAND | Springfield bridge to be renamed “Massey Memorial Bridge”: During Tuesday night”s Springfield City Council meeting the council approved a measure to commission a mural for the Jefferson Bridge, and work with IDOT to rename the bridge in her honor. Springfield Alderwoman Erin Conley spoke at the meeting and stated, “Sonya Massey’s mom is in the audience tonight and I just want to say this is a very small gesture in terms of everything, but we’re honored to have her name as part of our city. We will keep her in our hearts and in our thoughts.”
* Rockford Register Star | Rockford has a $23 million budget surplus. Here’s how it hopes to spend the money: Rockford could use a $23 million 2023 budget surplus to give a one-time boost to its neighborhood road program, close TIF Districts that are in the red and complete several road resurfacing projects. Collections of income taxes and corporate replacement taxes that flowed into the city from the state of Illinois far exceeded expectations last year, Finance Director Carrie Hagerty said. The city also saved money because of vacancies in the Rockford Police Department.
* WREX | Hard Rock Casino Rockford says things are going well less than two weeks after opening: “It’s more about just watching people feed into the building and see how they utilize the space and how they move around and navigate the space. We’ve identified some areas that are a little bit busier than we had thought they would be and probably should have bigger aisleways,” President, Geno Iafrate said. […] “Occupancy and visitation has just been through the roof. We actually twice on opening weekend, we exceeded capacity and had to stop letting people in the building, which I wish that wasn’t the case but at the same time that’s pretty exciting that you got more people than we can actually fit in the building,” Iafrate said.
* WQAD | City of Rock Island approves purchase of drones for police department: The Rock Island Police Department will be receiving three drones after city council members voted to approve the purchase on Monday, Sept. 9. All three devices will cost just over $53,000. The city plans to use part of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the purchase. RIPD will now join numerous other Quad Cities agencies using the technology, including the Moline Police Department, East Moline Police Department, Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Bettendorf Police Department and the Rock Island Fire Department.
* WAND | One year of progress at Scheels Sport Park: While the over 50 acre plot of dirt behind Scheels might not seem like much, a lot of work has happened in the lot since the groundbreaking occurred a year ago. Construction crews have laid more than two miles of underground piping, set up electrical wires for overhead lights, and built drainage systems for the outdoor fields. Soon crews will start building the foundation of the building and prepare to place the dome. A new General Manager was added to the Sports Park team today. Brandon Doherty will lead the facilities team for the rest of the construction, and when the building is completed.
* PJ Star | Peoria’s Brat Summer? Pop star Charli XCX shares TikTok while rehearsing in Illinois: Iconic English singer and songwriter Charli XCX — whose album Brat was a pop culture phenomenon this summer — was apparently in Peoria, Illinois, this week while rehearsing for her upcoming tour with fellow pop star Troye Sivan. The two filmed a TikTok on the streets of Downtown Peoria, posted Monday, in which the duo walks down Main Street near the intersection of Perry Avenue. The words “sweat tour rehearsals lfg” are on screen.
* WaPo | 42 state AGs endorse federal plan to add warning labels on social media: A coalition of over 40 state attorneys general urged Congress on Tuesday to place labels on social media platforms warning of their potential risks to children, rallying substantial bipartisan support behind a proposal championed by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. In a June op-ed, Murthy called on federal lawmakers to pass legislation authorizing the placement of tobacco-style surgeon general’s labels “stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.” Murthy said the move would help tackle concerns that social media is fueling real-world harms among kids and teens.
* WaPo | Elon Musk’s misleading election claims reach millions and alarm election officials: A separate analysis found that 50 of Musk’s false or misleading claims about the U.S. election between Jan. 1 and July 31 were debunked by independent fact-checkers and still generated almost 1.2 billion views, according to a recent study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. None displayed community notes, X’s term for user-generated fact checks that Musk has promised serve as an “immediate way to refute anything false” that is posted on the platform.
posted by Isabel Miller
Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 7:52 am
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REL SAFE-T Act appeals
“Our legislature did not contemplate a detention hearing where the state can stand mute on the very element of proof that differentiates the old bail statute from the new,”
One of two possibilities, the Will County SA office doesn’t know how the law works. Or Will County SA office was still throwing a tantrum over the SAFE-T act and was purposely sabotaging the hearing.
But it looks like it wasn’t just a failure of the SA office. The judge also failed to use evidence presented to arrive at a decision, as no evidence at all was presented for the 3rd prong. It was simply a conclusory decision made by the judge, and that’s probably why this appeal will ultimately succeed. It should have succeeded in the appellate court, as the reasoning given in that appeal wouldn’t apply to almost every other criminal court case in the state.
The law is very clear that three requirements under the burden of proof have to be met to detain a defendant until trial. The state has failed to meet all three of these requirements by completely ignoring the 3rd requirement under the law.
Sloppy. Just sloppy.
(Court doc)
https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/3fe5b77f-6216-465c-ba40-d6267647beb2/130693_ATB.pdf
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 8:15 am
So Bob Berlin sued his own client and now wants to dictate who his opposing counsel will be?
Comment by Protocol Droid Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 8:17 am
Kennedy Bartley is running or overseeing Mayor Johnson’s nose-counting operation? It seems like every crisis for the mayor results in doubling down instead of learning and growing. The progressive base the mayor had is shrinking by the day.
Comment by pragmatist Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 8:30 am
Think there’s an error with your headline about the Peoria Cure Violence program.
Comment by drifter182 Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 9:03 am
@ Protocol Droid -
1. Berlin has multiple clients and cannot represent them all due to the conflict of interest.
2. He is not trying to “dictate” who is appointed. It is absolutely standard procedure in this situation to request that the court appoint a special state’s attorney. It would be up to the court to decide who that would be.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 10:49 am
==It seems like every crisis for the mayor results in doubling down instead of learning and growing==
Exactly how I view it as well. Excellent observation.
Comment by low level Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 11:02 am
@JoanP
At what point does the client get any say in how their legal interests are represented?
Comment by Protocol Droid Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 12:28 pm
==place labels on social media platforms warning of their potential risks to children==
The nanny state now fully embraced by a national bipartisan combine.
Warning labels on books must be next.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 12:58 pm
==place labels on social media platforms warning of their potential risks to children==
The nanny state now fully embraced by a national bipartisan combine.
Warning labels on books must be next.
*forgot the name previously*
Comment by DougChicago Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 12:59 pm
Why would Musk be so anti-immigrant. Isn’t he an immigrant?
Comment by 17% Solution Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 1:49 pm
Why would Musk be so anti-immigrant? Isn’t he an immigrant?
Comment by 17% Solution Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 1:49 pm
== The nanny state now fully embraced by a national bipartisan combine.==
Parents shouldnt be aware of what sites may be harmful to their kids? I thought you guys were all for parental control? As for books you guys are the ones banning them so whatevs.
Comment by low level Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 2:01 pm
The Chicago Mayor needs to fire Kennedy Bartley. And ask his very top aides to do better background checks. Thanks for creating an issue that will be exploited Mayor.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 2:04 pm
Someone needs to tell that county clerk what goes on at that jail in DuPage County. Maybe then she’d start following those accounting procedures and fill out those forms correctly.
Comment by Non-Attorney Spokesperson Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 4:09 pm
@Non-Attorney Spokesperson
What are you implying about the operations of the DuPage County jail? Certainly the sheriff couldn’t be failing in his most basic duties and creating huge legal liabilities for the county, because if that was the case isn’t that what Chair Conroy and the board would be focused on rather than this fight with the clerk?
Comment by Protocol Droid Wednesday, Sep 11, 24 @ 4:49 pm