A string of violent crimes involving defendants on electronic monitoring has renewed scrutiny of Cook County’s criminal justice system, as critics argue that policy choices and judicial discretion are placing the public at risk. During an interview on Chicago’s Morning Answer, Wirepoints founder Mark Glennon joined Dan Proft to discuss what they described as a deepening crisis of accountability in Chicago and Cook County.
The immediate backdrop was a series of recent incidents in which individuals on pretrial release or electronic monitoring allegedly committed serious offenses. In one case, a man who had cut off his ankle monitor months earlier was charged with attempting to murder a Cook County sheriff’s police officer during an arrest attempt, leaving the officer hospitalized with serious leg injuries. That incident marked the 22nd case this year in which someone on felony pretrial release in Chicago has been accused of shooting, killing, or attempting to kill another person.
Additional cases added to the sense of urgency, including the arrest of a man accused of randomly attacking multiple women in the Loop while he was supposed to be confined to his home on electronic monitoring, and a separate case involving the alleged sexual assault of a disabled woman on the CTA by a repeat offender who had been arrested multiple times earlier in the year. Together, the incidents have drawn rare and pointed coverage from local media outlets that have often been reluctant to focus on failures of pretrial supervision.
Glennon said the problem extends beyond individual cases to what he described as an entrenched culture within the Cook County court system. While newly appointed Chief Judge Charles Evans has ordered an “urgent review” of the electronic monitoring program, Glennon argued that rule changes alone will not be sufficient without a fundamental shift in judicial attitudes toward detention and public safety. He contended that judges who repeatedly release dangerous defendants should be publicly identified and held accountable, particularly in a system where judges are elected.
Proft echoed that concern, criticizing what he called a lack of transparency and personal responsibility among judges and prosecutors. Both pointed to independent outlets such as CWB Chicago as among the few consistently reporting names, decisions, and outcomes in these cases, while larger media organizations often focus elsewhere.
The conversation also turned to Chicago’s broader fiscal and economic challenges, including the ongoing standoff between Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City Council over reviving a corporate head tax. Glennon dismissed recent analyses suggesting the tax would have minimal impact on jobs, arguing that basic economic logic shows higher taxes discourage investment and employment. He noted that even national outlets have begun to question Chicago’s fiscal direction, citing a recent Washington Post editorial that warned the city is veering toward self-inflicted economic damage.
Despite the bleak assessment, Glennon said there are signs that public concern is growing. He pointed to polling showing that crime and property taxes now rank among voters’ top priorities, surpassing issues that previously dominated local politics. Whether that concern translates into meaningful political change remains uncertain, but Glennon suggested the pressure is building.
As Chicago faces rising crime fears, mounting tax burdens, and strained public confidence in its institutions, the discussion underscored a broader question confronting city leaders: whether incremental reviews and studies will be enough, or whether voters and circumstances will force more drastic reforms.