>>> ILLINOIS IS SET TO BECOME THE FIRST STATE TO COMPLETELY ABOLISH CASH BAIL, THIS AFTER MONTHS OF CHALLENGES TO THE LAW.

COOK COUNTY'S TOP PROSECUTOR HAS PUSHED FOR THE ELIMINATION OF CASH BAIL, CALLING IT A MONUMENTAL MILESTONE TO ACHIEVING JUSTICE.

JOINING US IS COOK COUNTY STATE ATTORNEY KIM FOX.

CLARIFY THIS FOR US.

WHAT ABOUT JUDGES BEING ABLE TO IMPOSE THIS ON A SUSPECT AWAITING TRIAL?

>> THINGS LIKE MURDER, THINGS LIKE ARMED ROBBERY, DIFFERENT KINDS OF VIOLENCE.

JUDGES CAN IMPOSE, NOT MONETARY BAIL, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY MONEY TO GET OUT.

BUT SOMEONE CAN BE DETAINED WITHOUT HAVING TO POST ANY MONEY.

>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU WOULD DIRECT YOUR PROSECUTORS TO SEEK FOR OFFENDERS?

>> IF IT IS A CRIME INVOLVING VIOLENCE, IF THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF NOT APPEARING IN COURT.

>> TELL US THE STEPS NOW THAT THE PROSECUTORS HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO PROVE THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE HELD IN DETENTION.

>> WE MUST LOOK AT THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE , TO SEE IF SOMEONE CAN BE HELD.

WE HAVE A HEARING.

BUT WE ARE ASKING FOR SPECIFIC GUIDANCE REGARDING THAT PERSON'S THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ON THE RECORD.

SO, THERE IS AN ACTUAL HEARING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE.

>> YOU HAVE HEARD THE CONCERNS THAT THIS IS GOING TO LEAD TO MORE FOLKS OUT ON THE STREET THAT COULD POSE A DANGER .

HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE CONCERNS?

>> WE HAVE A BAIL SYSTEM NOW, WHERE PEOPLE ARE CHARGED WITH THINGS LIKE FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, THEY ARE GIVEN A MONETARY BAIL AMOUNT.

THEY PALE PAY THAT AMOUNT, THEY CAN GET OUT.

FOR PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE IN VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK OUT OF JAIL, WHAT THIS IS SEEKING TO ADDRESS, IF YOU ARE A THREAT TO THE PUBLIC, NO MATTER HOW MUCH ACCESS TO CASH YOU HAVE, YOU SHOULD BE JAILED IF YOU ARE A THREAT.

PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN JAIL RIGHT NOW FOR NONVIOLENT OFFENSES, MAYBE $1000 OR LESS, THEY ARE SITTING , AWAITING TRIAL BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD SOMETHING AS LOW AS $500 OR $100.

>> HOW MANY ADDED RESOURCES WILL IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT THIS?

>> WE WERE READY FOR THIS ON JANUARY 1st.

WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING THIS FOR 18 MONTHS, SINCE THAT BILL WAS SIGNED IN AND THE COUNTY BOARD AND THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE GIVEN US THE MONETARY RESOURCES.

WE HAVE STAFF WHO ARE TRAINED.

JANUARY 1st, WE WILL BE PREPARED ON SEPTEMBER 18th.

>> I WANT TO READ THE DISSENTING OPINION FROM JUSTICE OVERSTREET, PEOPLE HAVE EXERCISED THEIR SOVEREIGN POWER IN 2014, THEY DID SO BY AMENDING THE BILL OF RIGHTS IN OUR STATE CONSTITUTION, SETTING OUT ENUMERATED RIGHTS FOR ALL CRIME VICTIMS IN THE STATE.

THE SAFETY OF THEIR FAMILY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED , DENYING, OR FIXING THE AMOUNT OF BAIL.

YOU KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT THE MESSAGES TO VICTIMS, THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT PERPETRATORS , PERHAPS, BEING AFFECTED BY THIS.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE SAW VICTIMS ADVOCACY GROUPS SUPPORTING THIS IS THAT IT GIVES VICTIMS THE OPPORTUNITY.

VICTIMS RIGHT NOW ARE VERY WORRIED THAT SOMEONE COULD COME IN TODAY, WRITE A CHECK, AND GET OUT AND PUT THEIR SAFETY AT RISK.

THIS IS A BILL THAT HAS CONTINUED TO WORK.

THEY WORK ALONGSIDE OTHER ADVOCATES.

IT IS LIKE WE ARE TELLING THE VICTIMS THAT THEIR SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.

AND KNOW SOME OF CASH SHOULD DETERMINE THEIR SAFETY.

>> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN COOK COUNTY ABOUT THE DISCRETION OF JUDGES.

ARE THEY READY TO HAVE THIS ADDED LEVEL OF DISCRETION AND TO EXERCISE IT?

>> HERE IN COOK COUNTY, THEY EXERCISE AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF DISCRETION EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THAT IS PART OF THEIR MANDATE, PART OF THEIR OATH, ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR DISCRETION.

THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED ON THE NUANCES OF THE LAW.

THEY WILL BE READY.

>> WE HAD REPUBLICAN SENATE LEADER ON THE SHOW YESTERDAY, HE IS NOT OPPOSED, THIS HAS TO GO INTO EFFECT THAT HE WANTS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO GO BACK AND TWEAK IT MORE AND CLARIFY IT MORE.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER TWEAKS THAT YOU THINK THE LAW NEEDS?

>> I THINK WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE LAW, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WORKS OR WHAT DOESN'T, THIS IS A LAW THAT WAS SIGNED IN FEBRUARY, 2021, THAT HAD GONE BACK TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THEY HAD DONE SOME ADDITIONAL TWEAKS.

THE POLITICAL POSTURING IS OVER.

CERTAINLY, WITHIN THE IMPLEMENTATION, IF WE SEE THINGS THAT HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GO BACK.

>> THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TIME, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS.

YOU ARE AROUND NOW, BUT YOU ARE NOT SEEKING REELECTION, HOW COME ?

>> WHEN I RAN IN 2016 I DO THAT I WOULD NOT BE A CAREER POLITICIAN.

THE CITY HAS DONE SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 6.5 YEARS, INCLUDING THE ELIMINATION OF CASH BAIL, THE FIRST STATE IN THE COUNTRY TO DO THIS.

IT IS TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP TO COME IN.

WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO BE A CAREER POLITICIAN.

>> YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOUR NEXT CAREER IS GOING TO BE, YOUR NEXT STEPS ?

>> I HAVE ANOTHER 16 MONTHS TO