Shortly after the Illinois Senate and House passed the Police Reform Bill on Wednesday, I spoke with McLean County States Attorney Don Knapp to get his reaction to it.
STATES ATTORNEY DON KNAPP FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK:
The more time spent reading this bill, the clearer the picture becomes as to why 611 pages of text was purposely hidden from the public and unveiled the night before a lame duck session of the legislature with demands for a vote in a few short days. What possible purpose is there to include language in a criminal justice reform bill that could prevent officers from reviewing body worn camera footage (page 93) before writing their reports and then criminalize inaccuracies in reports written by officers? Similarly, in the middle of a global pandemic, why are court appearances via closed circuit television being prohibited (page 366)? One cannot help but reiterate that the language in this ‘omnibus’ 611 page bill has not even been public for even one full week yet legislators are demanding to vote on the matter which not only drastically changes the criminal justice system but also foists scores of unfunded mandates on local units of government. As we pour over its pages, it is impossible to imagine how enacting this legislation will result in a safer McLean County.