(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Associated Press has called the Cook County State's Attorney's Race for Democrat Eileen O’Neill Burke, who defeated Republican candidate Bob Fioretti and Libertarian Andrew Kopinski.
The race was called for O'Neill Burke just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday. At the time, the former judge had 65% of the vote. She will replace Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.
O’Neill Burke and Fioretti pitched sharply different approaches to dealing with police misconduct and the end of cash bail in Illinois.
Both candidates committed to prosecuting police officers who do wrong, but Fioretti campaigned on the promise to back police and said he feels the problem isn’t widespread.
As for the Pre-Trial Fairness Act, Fioretti has criticized the measure since its inception. It eliminated cash bail in Illinoi, and he told WBBM it allows some potentially dangerous suspects to be freed pending trial.
“Let’s take a look at an assault on a police officer, and I believe it’s an aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault on a senior citizen — they are not detainable offenses,” he said. “We should be looking at what to do, and I know you’re giving me that quizzical look, but the truth of the matter is they’re not.”
The law, though, said defendants facing such charges can be held if prosecutors prove they are dangerous or flight risks. O'Neill Burke said they'll do that for people caught with assault weapons and for other offenses if she's elected.
“Every single time someone is found with one of these guns, we are going to ask for detention and jail time,” she said. “We need to change the peoples’ perception that there is no consequence [for] carrying these weapons. We’re also going to ask for detention each and every time a weapon is displayed in a forcible felony.”
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