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New Cook County Chief Judge Orders Urgent Review of Electronic Monitoring Program

The move follows a CTA attack by a monitored defendant, intensifying questions about a court-run system that lacks arrest powers.

Overview

  • One day after taking office on Dec. 1, Charles S. Beach II created a committee to examine how alleged violations are reported and acted upon, with preliminary findings due by the end of January.
  • The review will focus on communication with law enforcement, prosecutors and court officials to strengthen accountability, coordination and public trust, his office said.
  • Most electronic monitoring shifted from the sheriff to the chief judge earlier in 2025, leaving the court-run program without an enforcement arm as the sheriff’s operation winds down.
  • Outgoing Chief Judge Tim Evans recently acknowledged staff do not apprehend absconders or notify police of violations, an issue spotlighted by the Blue Line arson case involving Lawrence Reed.
  • State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke disputed that her office asked to pause escalated alerts and urged adding a law-enforcement component; records show Reed repeatedly violated monitoring before the attack and he now faces federal terrorism charges.