CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — If there is one area where Bob Fioretti — the Republican candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney — differs from Democratic opponent Eileen O'Neill Burke, it's on the issue of Bail Reform contained in the SAFE-T Act.
Fioretti, a former Chicago alderman, believes eliminating cash bail means more dangerous suspects will be freed pending trial, despite the fact that DuPage County, for example, has been reporting success at hearings to hold potentially violent defendants without bail. That's DuPage, Fioretti said.
“The State’s Attorney in DuPage and many of our surrounding counties … bring charges that fit the crime and not reducing things down to a misdemeanor,” he told WBBM.
He suggests Democratic controlled Cook County won't be as aggressive. O'Neill Burke said her office would fight to keep those who are threats off the streets. Fioretti suggested the problem is lack of enforcement.
“I was just driving down Ogden two days ago, and it was pointed out to me: ‘Look at the guys on the corner that are standing there,’ and one of them had his electronic monitoring device on,” he said. “Our system needs to be looked at fully.”
The county's electronic monitoring program has had some problems, but it is run by the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
Fioretti has vowed to lower the threshold for retail theft cases to be considered felonies if he becomes state’s attorney — something O’Neill Burke has promised to do, as well.
Current State’s Attorney Kim Foxx raised the threshold to $1,000, so more of her assistant state’s attorneys could prosecute more violent crimes. Former Alderman Fioretti says Foxx made the wrong move.
Still, despite the tougher stance, Fioretti says he is not aiming to put more low-level thieves in prison.
Democrat O'Neill Burke has expressed similar sentiments. Andrew Charles Kopinski is the Libertarian Candidate in this race.
Republican candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney Bob Fioretti is the guest on WBBM’s “At Issue” program this weekend, and you can hear more of his thoughts Sunday night at 9:30.
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