Candidates divided on minor drug cases
In one of the clearest dividing lines in the Cook County state's attorney race, the one Republican and six Democratic candidates are sharply divided on whether to allow police officers to give out warnings instead of filing formal charges for possession of drugs in small amounts.
Four Democrats said they had problems with the concept while two Democrats and the Republican endorsed it Thursday.
The question came after the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice recommended police be able to dispose of some cases with a warning or a referral for drug treatment without burdening the courts, a process known as station adjustments.
Candidates debated the question at a forum held by Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Appleseed group at the law school in Chicago.
"You're putting too much on the police department," said Bob Milan, a Glenview resident who is a career prosecutor and second-in-command of the state's attorney's office.
He also said if a teen is let off by police with a warning, and then overdoses, the police might be held legally liable. Milan does, however, favor more drug diversion courtrooms.
Chicago Alderman Howard Brookins said he supports the idea, in part because he believes police in some more affluent areas already are doing it. Standardizing the method would allow minorities to receive benefits others already are receiving, he said.
Tommy Brewer, a private attorney from Evanston, said he thinks it will make the system more efficient. "I (don't) believe that the police should spend four hours processing someone (for court) … when they could make better use of their time."
Anita Alvarez, a River Forest resident who is the No. 3 person in the state's attorney's office, is against it.
"Are we really helping the person just by giving a station adjustment? … Are we going to have a situation where a person is going to get picked up every week and not get the treatment he or she really deserves?" she said.
Chicago Alderman Tom Allen said the plan was essentially a move to decriminalize drugs. "Possession of drugs are still against the law as far as I remember," he said.
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin of Evanston said he is working with groups on proposals to divert drug cases from courts but didn't favor station adjustments. "I don't know how we would monitor that to make sure that justice is equal," he said.
The lone Republican in the race, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica of Riverside, said he favored the idea because the amount of drug cases in the system is breaking the county's budget.
"So, clearly, we can't continue to do the same thing," he said.
Earlier Thursday, Alvarez publicly criticized Brookins, alleging court records indicated he had to be forced into paying his child's medical expenses as part of a divorce agreement. Alvarez said such a record would send a mixed message to assistant state's attorneys charged with enforcing child support agreements.
Brookins, in a prepared statement, said "I have made every required child support payment from the time of separation with my ex-wife through today. In addition I have consistently provided health insurance for my son.
This dispute stemmed from the fact that I provided health coverage ... through an HMO, and my wife took him to an out-of-network physician. As a result, we needed the judge to determine who was responsible for the out-of-network payments."