Not guilty on first-degree murder

Gina Piemonte, Chief of the Felony Trial Division, APD Loveleen Ahuja and Chief of Investigations Stephen Ramsey won a not guilty verdict in a first-degree murder case. 

The defense team located an eyewitness that the state and police didn't even bother to interview, who testified that the co-defendant in the case had acted in self-defense when he shot the alleged victim.

Our client was just standing outside the yard where the shooting happened. Loveleen requested a non-Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction (IPI) that mere presence is not enough for accountability. Judge Mary Margaret Brosnahan gave the instruction and the jury found our client not guilty on the first-degree murder charge.

Another not guilty on first-degree murder

APDs Kyan Keenan and Rocio Armendariz, Attorney Supervisor Colleen Gorman and Chief of Investigations Stephen Ramsey won a not guilty verdict on another first-degree murder case, before Judge Laura Ayala-Gonzalez.

The deceased was shot in the back and still alive when the police arrived. He told police our client had shot him, and so did another witness who was 17 at the time. That witness called our office years later and came in with her father and told Stephen she had lied to the police. She was dead at the time of the trial, but the judge let in her original statement to the police as an excited utterance. Stephen testified as to the recant.

Colleen argued that the words of a man shot in the back, who probably didn't even see the shooter, plus the lies of a teenage girl, were not enough to convict someone. The jury agreed.

State dismisses case after investigation into frozen steaks seller

APD Elyse Epstein and Investigator Alejandra Cahue got the state to nolle a case after investigating the complaining witness. The case was before Judge Cynthia Ramirez.

Our client was charged with aggravated battery, theft from a person over $500 (a bike and two steaks), and battery, for an incident that occurred on an El platform.

The complaining witness was selling frozen meat from his backpack, which Elyse thought could indicate a background. His birth date and contact information were incorrect in the police report and so it initially looked as though he had no record. But Alejandra found an extensive rap sheet for a person with the same name who looked like the person on the body-worn camera footage. When Elyse gave this information to the prosecution they dropped the charges.

Volunteer and CLE opportunity: Driver's License Reinstatement Expo

On Saturday, Feb. 4 we will co-host the eighth Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo at Malcolm X College. These Expos have given hundreds of people with a suspended or revoked driver’s license an opportunity to appear in court or to receive free counseling from volunteer attorneys.

Registration is closed for this capacity event! Please consider volunteering your time and help our communities.

We need volunteers with current Secretary of State access (RACF IDs) to pull driver abstracts of registered participants prior to the Expo to make sure we can help as many eligible individuals as possible.

We also need volunteer attorneys with traffic experience to provide free counseling at the event. Our office will provide training on interpreting abstracts, on Jan. 11 and Jan. 18. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit is available for the training and for the volunteering time at the event.

To volunteer, to sign-up for training, or for more information, please contact First Municipal Division Chief Danita Ivory.

Sheriff's electronic monitoring change to essential movement

The Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) has changed its policy for how people on electronic monitoring will be placed on the default essential movement schedule. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, our clients will no longer be placed on essential movement schedules automatically unless the court order to electronic monitoring provides for movement. 

The default schedule of either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday based on Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC) ID number will still be available, but it will no longer be automatic for our clients with no other recurring movement permissions; it must be affirmatively ordered by the court. Thus, in order to ensure your clients have essential movement if they are newly placed on electronic monitoring, use this new court order and select either essential movement or specific movement permissions.

Please see an email from First Assistant Rodney Carr on Dec. 28, with full details and relevant attachments. As always please contact the Policy Team if you have a client who is denied essential movement.

Pretrial fairness in the news

With the historic end of money bond coming up on Jan. 1, media coverage has been intense. Our office joined Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez, State's Attorney Kim Foxx and the Justice Advisory Council in a statement saying we are poised and ready to implement the Pretrial Fairness Act.

The Chicago Tribune did a comprehensive story - Despite legal limbo, elimination of cash bail set to take effect Jan. 1 - on all of the implementation work, citing Deputy of Central Operations Amy Thompson.

MSNBC ran a thorough and positive story on the reforms, including an interview with Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr.

The Chicago Sun-Times, NBC Chicago and The Triibe were among many outlets citing our statements.

Univision ran an interview with Deputy of Communications Fiona Ortiz regarding the implementation.