Schaumburg to prosecute minor theft, parking cases in-house

Schaumburg will begin prosecuting all cases of misdemeanor theft and the parking of nonelectric vehicles in electric vehicle charging stations through the village's new in-house adjudication system, bypassing the more crowded Cook County circuit court.

Police Chief James Lamkin said the adjudication system got off to a good start this winter, but an early oversight had the village prosecuting only retail thefts locally and not all thefts under $300.

Now all such minor thefts will be prosecuted through hearings at Schaumburg village hall, with those found guilty charged a $200 fine payable to the village.

The adjudication system covers not only misdemeanor criminal offenses but village code violations. Added to these this week was the parking of nonelectric vehicles in spaces reserved for electric vehicles. The initial fine for such a violation will be $100, going up to $200 for late payment.

Schaumburg locations with charging stations include Woodfield Mall, Whole Foods, Motorola Solutions, the Wingate and Schaumburg Marriott hotels, the Windy Point office campus on McConnor Boulevard, and the Patrick BMW dealership.

The village shifted minor cases to its adjudication system last year to maintain local control over them. Officials said circuit court judges are often reluctant to charge fines in those cases, and even when they did the money went to the court and not Schaumburg.

Defendants in the cases retain the right to appeal the adjudication officer's decisions to the circuit court, and there may be particular cases the village opts to send directly to court.

Suburban communities that also use an adjudication system include Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, Park Ridge and Evanston.