How Is That Criminal Justice Reform Working Out?

The new count of victims begins. #1: Chicago man stabbed, beat roommate to death while awaiting trial for burglary, prosecutors say - CWB Chicago

Prosecutors on Friday said a Chicago man killed his roommate with a knife and hammer last month, then hid her body in their apartment, and moved into a motel.

Nore Flemings, 19, who had a felony burglary case pending in juvenile court at the time of the alleged murder, is the first person accused of killing someone in Chicago this year while having a felony case pending. He has been adjudicated delinquent four times as a juvenile: for unlawful possession of a handgun, criminal trespass to a vehicle, deceptive practice, and retail theft.

CWBChicago keeps track, because after the criminal justice reforms around bail were implemented by Cook County courts, the judge in charge of the reforms said that there had been no bad outcomes. There have, in fact, been bad outcomes.

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

Click thru for some statistics on the number of victims, by crime, in the past few years. CWB calls them incomplete.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data.