Cook County Board of Commissioners 
Committee Meetings - Wed.  Jan. 27, 2021

Finance Committee – 9:30 am

• Agenda Item 21-0694:  Monthly report from CCH. Comptroller Lawrence reported a $259 million net favorable balance.  This was due in part to receipt of 2 large settlements being received.  Details of settlements are not discussed. It was stated that the financial status is important for maintaining ratings from rating agencies and interest of investment groups. Regarding impact of Covid 19 expenditures, if current federal proposal for aid to states and local governments has a similar formula to that used in Spring 2020, $500 million is expected.
• Agenda Item 21-5660:  (Moore) Proposal to substitute and to amend the Small Procurement Ordinance (20-5660).  This changes the exemption from competitive bid process for procurements of same or similar goods or services from same vendor in same fiscal year to less than $15,000.  This was a reduction from the amount specified in 20-5660. Approved. 16 Aye. 1 Absent/excused

Legislation & Intergovernmental Relations Committee – 11:00

• Agenda Item 21-0495:  This is the item as stated in the Agenda. Second substitute for 20-0495. Resolution calling on Federal government to implement policies to protect immigrant community and strengthen the immigration system in the US.  Com. Anaya stated her office received an expression of support on this from the Consulate of Mexico.  Com. Miller asked that the African diaspora be included and efforts be made to expand those conversations.  Com. Anaya responded that inclusion of many groups is continuing in conversations on immigration. Resolution approved.  16 Aye. 1 Absent/Excused

​Criminal Justice Committee – 12:30

• Agenda Item 20-5479:  A hearing on the detainees in Cook County Jail, focusing on those there for 5 years or longer awaiting trial.  Representatives from Chief Judge, Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Clerk of the Court, Public Defender, and Director of Cermak Health Services were expected.  This discussion started at 12:30 and was still continuing at 3:30.  This observer concluded at 2:30. 
• Tanya Woods, Westside Justice Center, spoke regarding concerns on access to vaccines for those incarcerated, intensified needs for mental health services in black/brown communities, access to speedy trials, and ripple effects on families when a member is incarcerated. 
• Dr. David Olson, Loyola University, spoke specifically to time of detention in Cook County Jail, based on research conducted regarding incarceration of people for 5 years or more. Since Bond Court reform in Cook County, it is people accused of  the most serious felony offenses involving violent offenses who are incarcerated longest.  Better data is needed to compare Cook County to the rest of the state. He stated Illinois Dept. of Corrections lacks good data overall.  For murder, 4.7 yr is the average detention for pretrial incarceration in Cook County; for IL, the average is 2.7 years pretrial. Dr. Young stated that the trend is longer time in Cook County system compared to IL.  Time served in Cook County is would reduce time served, after sentencing, in state prison.  Many commissioners had questions for Dr. Young which can be viewed on the recording. 
• Sarah Stout, Sr Policy Analyst for Appleseed gave public testimony,  regarding short term and long term problems.  One current issue that Covid19 closings have slowed resolution of cases.  Early on, arrests were low but that is no longer the case. There is a need for a centralized docket to help catch up on cases and for updating technology for the exchange of documents.
• Chief Judge T. Evans stated that the data complied recently by his staff showed 135 cases for people  incarcerated for 5 or more years; that those were for murder, attempted murder, class X felonies.  He stated 8 reasons for those cases still pending:  1-delays in discovery process 2-motions to withdraw as attorneys 3-attorneys have schedule conflicts 4-defendant represents self 5-defendant faces multiple charges which must be tried separately, 6-demand for jury trial, 7-post conviction appeal status 8-behavioral clinical exam indicates individual unfit for trial. Commissioners engaged with Judge Evans on many questions, including data discrepancies, plans to reopen courts, and complications of reopening due to Covid 19. There were additional presentations and discussion.

Carolyn Cosentino -  Observer

Cook County Board Finance Committee Departmental Budget Hearings
November 6

CHIEF JUDGE -  TIM EVANS

Proposed 2021 Budget: $267,492,961                Proposed 2021 FTEs - 2783
2020 Budget:  $277,958,472                              2020 FTEs - 3029
Difference:  ($10,465,510)  decrease                  Difference - decrease 246 

Highlights of Presentation and Questions:

• Two more restorative justice courts “opened” but not yet being used—Englewood and      Avondale.  For 18-26 year olds to get “second chance” and  to stay out of Criminal Justice (CJ) System.  Involves the making the victim whole, dismissal of the case if completed.  12 new “peacekeepers have been hired and 12 more to be hired soon.  Difficult to set up more of these courts as they need to be in “gang-neutral territory” and the costs lower.  There will be an increase of judges available for these courts, but often prosecutors, defense attorneys don’t show up
• Length of stay (in jail) question (carry over from Dart budget hearing)  There were 9421 pending cases active since August.  85% (7945) of these were completed within 2 years, another 9% within 3 years.  About 2-3% are very serious cases involving multiple murders, etc. and after 9 years they have not been completed.  Some are on appeal, others require a lot of background investigation for trial (DNA, witness location, etc.), some awaiting sentencing.  Evans stated that this long length of stay is “blown out of proportion.”  Comm. Miller requested a public hearing on Length of Stay with all CJ departments.
• Some delays in court proceedings  are occurring due to the Clerk of the Court’s office having difficulty getting employees to work during COVID, so judges staff did that work.  This is mostly a problem at the suburban sites and the Daley Center.  He suggests sharing staff with the Clerk of the Court in the future.
• Another glitch in the court system is that Odyssey Technology isn't working as it should to track cases.  Mostly used in criminal cases; Evans suggests NOT using in civil cases.
• In the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC)  (175 juveniles currently) there has been a cut back on some programs. For other at risk juveniles, there are other programs which appear not to be currently going on, or to a lesser extent—(after school gym, homework help, mentors, dinner, ride home).  Low COVID rate at JTDC (less than 3%), as they are quarantined on arrival pending testing.
• Reduction of 100 employees from Electronic Monitoring, probation, etc.  Use of GPS saves money and staffing needs in the long run.
• An evictions system will be in place when the moratorium on evictions is over.
• Miller asked for data on mental health programs and other programs that are under the Chief Judge or others.
• $6.3 million in budget for overtime, but Evans expects this to be reduced once more staff is hired.  This is mostly in JTDC and mostly due to FMLA leave.
• A concern by Comm. Johnson on the slow pace of expungement cases.  Evans said the Clerk’ of the Court's office isn't sending petitions to the judge (Leroy Martin) for months—even in uncontested expungements.  For contested expungements, there is a problem finding lawyers who would represent for free, having asst. states attorneys there, and only a small number of clerks trained to do the processing.
• According to Ritzki (budget) there is a budget in Economic Development office to deal with CARES money and new programs in the criminal justice system—unclear what those are.
• Bond court is “back to normal” (held within 24 hours of arrest), but that means all hearings are done on Zoom.  They are live-streamed (audio only) on You-tube.

Evans indicated he plans to bring forth several amendments to his budget to restore probation officers and increase programs.  Comm. Daley reminded all that this is an “extremely tight budget” and all amendments need to be budget neutral.

​Observer - Karin Hribar

CLERK OF THE COURT - Dorothy Brown
REVENUES 2020YTD (May 31, 2020)  are down.  
Budgeted:  $37,650,000  Actual:  $31,333,244  Variance: -$6,316,756   or -16.8%
EXPENSES 2020YTD (May 31, 2020) are down.
Budgeted:  $49,276,430  Actual:  $47.575.410  Variance:  $1,701,020  or 3.5%
Holdback:  $6,513,443 (achieved)
2021 Budgeted:  Not in report, nor on Legistar

Other Information from presentation:

• Criminal Case management system (through $37,000,000 contract with Tyler Technologies) is “working well”—Odyssey Program.  Civil and Traffic Management is still being programmed.  Not clear on which technology programs were up and running and which were still being worked on or not yet started.
• Almost all court procedures are being done virtually or by email, mobile app, website.
• Brown needed to pay “Hazard Pay” to get employees to come to work at court houses during COVID.  $1.9 million.  This will not be reimbursed by federal CARES money.  Some other Court expenses will be reimbursed, but Brown needs to apply for these funds.
• 1400 employees total.  30 were/are COVID positive.  Computers were purchased and borrowed for employees to take home to work from home.  85% of the total employees are back to work—many “are afraid and call out”  (call in sick), even though plexiglass barriers and PPE has been purchased/used.
• regarding Shakman:  Daley asked Brown for a road map toward compliance.  Brown said her team is working on it.
• Expungement program is a big and popular program and several commissioners commented on it and thanked Brown.  This removes the criminal records of certain individuals.  This can be done virtually and will be done again August 1-September 25.
• ​Has 207 open positions and has delayed hiring, which helped with the holdback. But hiring will begin again as it has been previously approved.

CHIEF JUDGE - Tim Evans
REVENUES:  YTD (May 31, 2020)  State of Illinois Salary Subsidies and Public Guardian Fees:  
Budgeted: $29,152,899 and $1,600,000, respectively. 
Actual:  $24,876,994 and $1,047,774  
Variance:  -$4,275,905  -14.7% and -$552,226   -34.5%
EXPENSES:  2020 Budget YTD:  $129,818,323  Actual:  $120,923,415
Variance:  $8,894,908   7%
Holdback:  $17,213,803  Achieved:  $14,643,203

Other Information from Presentation: 

• Court has been open to all except for civil and criminal jury trials.  All court proceedings  are being done by Zoom—virtually.
• Collections have fallen to 23%of target from March through May due to COVID.
• Three new Restorative Justice Courts are being set up:  Avondale (August 10), Englewood (August 3) and another which I didn't catch.  A fourth one will be at 26th and California (Leighton Courthouse) for all of Cook County.  These courts are designed to stop the revenge shootings that have occurred so often.
• All courts are open but almost all employees are working from home and are not in the courthouses and offices.  Evans is thinking about remote jury selection process once this starts again.  This would alleviate the large numbers of people coming to courthouses for jury selection process.  Also mentioned was using large venues like McCormick Place for jury trials to facilitate social distancing.
• The State Supreme Court as put a “toll” on speedy trials, since this is impossible to do now.
• Comm. Suffredin mentioned that because landlords, banks, credit card companies, etc. will be filing next week, there will be a fee spike which is good for revenue.
• The Charitable Bond Fund, passed by this CC Board, has bailed out 800 people for $2.8 million.

Observer - Karin Hribar