Buffalo Grove woman's killer can seek freedom in just 6 months

We'll never make sense of the random shooting on a Wisconsin interstate last year that claimed the life of Buffalo Grove mom Tracy Czaczkowski on her way home from a family vacation with her husband and two young kids.

Still, we hoped her family and friends might take some small comfort in knowing the man responsible would be locked away in a state institution for the next four decades.

It turns out that might not be the case.

Instead, shooter Zachary T. Hays could begin seeking his freedom in as little as six months. And every six months after that.

Hays, 21, was found not guilty by reason of mental defect Monday. Four doctors agreed the suburban Milwaukee man was severely mentally ill May 1, 2016, when he fired three shots at the Czaczkowski family car as it passed his on Interstate 90/94 near Baraboo, Wisconsin. Tracy, 44, was hit in the neck.

Although a judge handed Hays a 40-year term in a state facility, Wisconsin law allows him to start asking for his release in December. That would trigger a process in which a court-appointed mental health expert would examine him and determine if conditional release is appropriate.

If so, a court must grant his release unless it finds by "clear and convincing evidence" that Hays would pose a significant risk of bodily harm to himself or others, state law says.

<h3 class="leadin">'Unconscionable'

For Czaczkowski's widower, Greg, it means the specter of Hays' release will often be on his mind.

"I think (the family is) going to have to think about this and what that means to them," family spokeswoman Karen Flowers, an associate special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, told Daily Herald staff writer Eric Peterson on Monday. "It's kind of unconscionable to think (Hays) can petition for release six months from today."

Flowers was one of several DEA representatives in a Sauk County, Wisconsin, courtroom Monday to show their support for Greg Czaczkowski, an agent for the federal law enforcement agency.

"I think they classify it as murder," Flowers said of the Czaczkowski family. "They wouldn't categorize it any other way."

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Noisy neighbors

Nobody likes a noisy construction crew working outside your door when you're trying to get some sleep.

But police say a North suburban man took his annoyance way too far last week when he waved a shotgun at workers while yelling at them to quiet down.

Now Marcus White, 61, of Northfield faces a charge of possession of a firearm without a FOID card and a breach of peace citation in connection with the June 5 fracas.

According to Northfield police, White told officers he couldn't get to sleep because of the crew working on the roof next door. He said the weapon wasn't loaded during the confrontation.

White was released on a $1,500 recognizance bond and is scheduled to appear in Cook County court June 28.

Things could have been worse for him. Had a worker chosen to pursue a complaint, White could have faced a felony charge of aggravated assault, police said.

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FBI warns of new scam

Not even the FBI is immune from getting dragged into a scam.

The bureau issued a warning this week about an elderly North suburban couple conned out of thousands of dollars after receiving a menacing email that appeared to be from the agency.

The email, addressed as coming from an FBI office in Rolling Meadows, tells the couple they'd been caught money laundering and financing terrorism in a different part of the world. It demands they stop any contacts with their banks and to reply within 24 hours to avoid prosecution.

The FBI says the bureau does not use email to inform people they're facing charges and will not ask anyone for money. Anyone receiving such an email should report it to the internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.

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Bond reform rolls on

Posting cash bond may be a thing of the past for anyone charged with a nonviolent misdemeanor or low-level felony in Cook County.

State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced Monday her office will recommend recognizance bonds - essentially a promise to show up in court when ordered - for defendants prosecutors believe aren't violent or likely to flee.

The long-standing practice of requiring defendants to post cash bond or sit in jail while awaiting trial has come under fire in recent years. Reformers say it unfairly punishes poor people and crowds jails with nonviolent offenders.

"Routinely detaining people accused of low-level offenses who have not yet been convicted of anything simply because they are poor is not only unjust - it undermines the public's confidence in the fairness of the system," Foxx said in her announcement. "For too long, prosecutors have abdicated our responsibility by not participating in this process. With this policy change, we recognize the role our office can play in decreasing the overreliance on pre-trial detention."

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