Centralia Acting Police Chief Steve Whritenour is frustrated with the court system over recognizance and low bonds in weapons cases and large drug cases.
He’s speaking out following a recent case where an 18-year-old Centralia man was discovered in possession of a loaded pistol while walking down a street near the Marion County Housing Authority Units in the early morning hours. Whritenour says a felony unlawful use of weapons charge was filed by the State’s Attorney who recommended a bond of $20,000. But instead, a judge released the suspect back into the community with a recognizance bond.
Whritenour feels by putting suspects right back on the streets the court system has failed to protect officers who put their lives at risk along with citizens at a time gun violence cases around the country are on the rise.
“Moving forward from this I hope we can work together much more transparent relationship between the police department, state’s attorney’s office and the court system. That we can take these guns off the streets and hold people accountable for their actions. Because at the end of the day the most important part is keeping our citizens and officers safe.”
Marion County Resident Circuit Court Judge Mark Stedelin addressed the criticism. He says significantly lower bonds began after a 2019 state law changed guidance for bond setting.
Stedelin says his first obligation is to follow the law. In addition to information on the case, the judge says he relies on the pre-bond report prepared by the probation office.
Stedelin says he is sympathetic to what the lower or recognizance bonds have done. He’s seen cases in his court where a suspect is now released and is picked up another two or three times before their first case is handled.
Stedelin anticipates the challenge of reforming the bond law while protecting the public will become an even larger problem when cashless bond begins January first for all but the most serious felony cases. He’s planning on sitting down with law enforcement on what the changes will mean.
Among them is giving police the first decision on if the person arrested is a threat to another individual that would make them eligible for detention. Stedelin says it will then be up to the State’s Attorney if he wants to pursue a petition to detain. If the State’s Attorney doesn’t seek detention, the person would be released on their own recognizance.
Stedelin predicts the result will be a lot more people being released without bond pending action on their case. He fears with the haste the legislation was drafted, leaving little information on the legislature’s intent, there will be a lot of unanswered questions when the new law goes into effect.
As far as the loaded gun case that has brought the criticism from the acting Centralia Police Chief, the suspect would not even be eligible for detention under the new cashless bond law because no individual was targeted with the weapon.
