Judge praises suspect but won't cut her bond

By her attorney's description, Latifah Johnson has done well in the Cook County sheriff's female furlough program requiring defendants to report daily to the jail for treatment and return nightly to their homes while wearing an electronic monitoring device.

Charged with obstructing justice after police say she tried to clean up the blood of a neighbor severely beaten by Johnson's 15-year-old sister on March 29 in their Schaumburg apartment complex, Johnson has successfully completed parenting, healthy start and domestic violence programs offered through the sheriff's department, said Assistant Public Defender Joe Gump.

Her success, coupled with her lack of criminal background, prompted Gump to ask Circuit Court Judge John Scotillo to reduce Johnson's $40,000 bond to individual recognizance during a hearing Wednesday afternoon in Rolling Meadows.

Scotillo denied the request but recognized Johnson's efforts noting that "only good things have happened to her" during her 86 days in custody.

"To her credit, she's taken advantage of (the sheriff's program) and that's good," Scotillo said.

Gump described the 18-year-old Johnson as a goal-oriented young woman who hopes to study psychology in college.

"I believe she is making enormous strides," said Gump, noting that authorities say Johnson played no part in planning or executing the hammer attack on 58-year-old Rajesh Thakkar, who lost sight in one eye and suffered brain injuries, put him into a coma for several weeks and kept him in the hospital for three months. Johnson's sister faces charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and aggravated battery. Prosecutors are considering charging her as an adult.

Gump also told the court that the aunt with whom Johnson has been living can no longer afford to house her. Moreover, Johnson's mother has since relocated to DuPage County, which is out of the court's jurisdiction. Having no place to live in Cook County would make Johnson ineligible for the electronic monitoring program and force her to return to Cook County jail, where she spent 30 days following her arrest. Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Shilpa Patel objected to any bond modification, stating that a Schaumburg police officer saw Johnson cleaning up the blood and later identified her during a canvass of the building.

"Clearly her actions showed her intent to prevent the apprehension of her sister," said Patel.

Patel also said that Johnson offered several version of that night's events to police. In one version she claimed she and her sister returned home from the library about 5 p.m., Patel said. Later that night, Johnson claimed her sister awoke her and asked for help saying a man had been hurt, Patel said. In her final statement to police, Johnson admitted her sister told her she was going to "hit" or rob someone, Patel said.

Several hours later, Johnson claimed the teenager returned to the family's apartment claiming she hit a man. Johnson went to the lobby and saw the bloodied, moaning victim outside the building, Patel said. She started wiping up the blood but ran away when the man tried to open the locked door, Patel said.

Gump insisted his client didn't impede the investigation, saying police "had no trouble finding any blood they wanted."