Sen. Durbin Cuts Off Witness During Chicago-Specific Violence Hearing for Talking About Chicago-Specific Violence

SWEARER Progressive prosecutors in ░░░░░░░░ and in many other ░░░░░░░░ across the country including ░░░░░░░░ otherwise tough on crime ░░░░░░░░ are making a mockery ░░░░░░░░ true criminal justice reform ░░░░░░░░ least when studies refuse ░░░░░░░░ fudge numbers or exclude ░░░░░░░░ conveniently chosen categories of ░░░░░░░░ crime I think the ░░░░░░░░ is very clear that ░░░░░░░░ policies in practice have ░░░░░░░░ properly balanced reform with ░░░░░░░░ safety Here in Chicago ░░░░░░░░ implemented bail policies have ░░░░░░░░ in 33 percent more ░░░░░░░░ on pretrial release being ░░░░░░░░ with committing a new ░░░░░░░░ crime And given abysmally ░░░░░░░░ clearance and arrest rates ░░░░░░░░ these crimes we are ░░░░░░░░ certainly undercounting that impact ░░░░░░░░ evidence is thoroughly laid ░░░░░░░░ in my written testimony ░░░░░░░░ frankly nothing could capture ░░░░░░░░ breadth of this problem ░░░░░░░░ than one recent yet ░░░░░░░░ common example that should ░░░░░░░░ every person in this ░░░░░░░░ DURBIN Ms Swearer I ░░░░░░░░ your testimony And I ░░░░░░░░ in all fairness since ░░░░░░░░ did not invite the ░░░░░░░░ County State s Attorney ░░░░░░░░ Office to be represented ░░░░░░░░ today that you shouldn ░░░░░░░░ really zero in on ░░░░░░░░ particular individual If you ░░░░░░░░ to speak to trends ░░░░░░░░ s certainly your right ░░░░░░░░ because that decision was ░░░░░░░░ by the committee more ░░░░░░░░ the federal level I ░░░░░░░░ you ll respect that ░░░░░░░░ Senator I I do ░░░░░░░░ fact respect that this ░░░░░░░░ something that we are ░░░░░░░░ at from a federal ░░░░░░░░ However when we re ░░░░░░░░ about what is actually ░░░░░░░░ in Chicago I think ░░░░░░░░ Lousch from the first ░░░░░░░░ was correct We need ░░░░░░░░ look at at how ░░░░░░░░ things like not charging ░░░░░░░░ individuals who shot up ░░░░░░░░ residential neighborhood on a ░░░░░░░░ on a Friday who ░░░░░░░░ of which were charged ░░░░░░░░ were released on Monday ░░░░░░░░ does that impact the ░░░░░░░░ of confidence How does ░░░░░░░░ build trust with communities ░░░░░░░░ think that is a ░░░░░░░░ thing to consider because ░░░░░░░░ as other panelists have ░░░░░░░░ out a lot of ░░░░░░░░ justice a lot of ░░░░░░░░ we actually enforce the ░░░░░░░░ is done at a ░░░░░░░░ level These things matter ░░░░░░░░ I understand that What ░░░░░░░░ m saying to you ░░░░░░░░ there is another side ░░░░░░░░ the story I believe ░░░░░░░░ m not here to ░░░░░░░░ one or the other ░░░░░░░░ we didn t invite ░░░░░░░░ elected official which you ░░░░░░░░ referring to who made ░░░░░░░░ decision and I think ░░░░░░░░ in fairness you should ░░░░░░░░ with many of the ░░░░░░░░ points you have in ░░░░░░░░ statement SWEARER Well I ░░░░░░░░ summarize that in with ░░░░░░░░ and deference to you ░░░░░░░░ Chairman by saying that ░░░░░░░░ it is one fairly ░░░░░░░░ example that I think ░░░░░░░░ back to this this ░░░░░░░░ of trust and the ░░░░░░░░ in which some of ░░░░░░░░ prosecutorial tactics facilitate this ░░░░░░░░ because this crime spike ░░░░░░░░ not because more Americans ░░░░░░░░ purchased firearms through lawful ░░░░░░░░ this year it s ░░░░░░░░ because Chicago residents can ░░░░░░░░ a gun 20 minutes ░░░░░░░░ in Indiana subject to ░░░░░░░░ same restrictions as if ░░░░░░░░ purchased it 20 minutes ░░░░░░░░ in an Illinois suburb ░░░░░░░░ s because millions of ░░░░░░░░ suddenly lost their livelihoods ░░░░░░░░ their livelihoods ripped out ░░░░░░░░ under them had their ░░░░░░░░ social networks disrupted had ░░░░░░░░ manner of serious stressors ░░░░░░░░ on them over an ░░░░░░░░ period of time It ░░░░░░░░ because the police departments ░░░░░░░░ this nation had abruptly ░░░░░░░░ the ways in which ░░░░░░░░ deploy their resources in ░░░░░░░░ they responded to service ░░░░░░░░ and interacted with civilians ░░░░░░░░ s because certain prosecutors ░░░░░░░░ t be bothered to ░░░░░░░░ criminal charges and I ░░░░░░░░ not just in one ░░░░░░░░ but in many cases ░░░░░░░░ offenders are too often ░░░░░░░░ on bail or prosecutions ░░░░░░░░ refused on their behalf ░░░░░░░░ think acknowledging the rules ░░░░░░░░ these widespread drastic policy ░░░░░░░░ played in creating this ░░░░░░░░ of violence may not ░░░░░░░░ as simple or politically ░░░░░░░░ as blaming lawful gun ░░░░░░░░ or neighboring states but ░░░░░░░░ would go a long ░░░░░░░░ to saving lives So ░░░░░░░░ look forward to your ░░░░░░░░ especially with regard to ░░░░░░░░ in which we can ░░░░░░░░ the effects of these ░░░░░░░░ changes.”