CCSAO Introduces New Expedited Felony Review Standard

CHICAGO — Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke today announced the citywide implementation of Expedited Felony Review (EFR), an expansion of a successful pilot program that allows comprehensively trained Chicago Police Department officers to directly file certain nonviolent felony gun possession offenses. The EFR was developed in collaboration with CPD and is designed to address a longstanding bottleneck and drive efficiencies in CCSAO’s felony review process, allowing prosecutors to focus on violent and victim-centric crimes, while also freeing up police officers to get back on the beat more quickly after making a gun possession arrest.  

“The goal of this initiative is straightforward: to get police officers back on their beats, not tied down at their desk waiting on a phone call,” State’s Attorney Burke said. “It also allows our office to dedicate prosecutorial time and attention to more complex cases, where evidence needs to be reviewed in person and victims and witnesses need to be spoken to as quickly as possible. Expedited Felony Review is a new standard for law enforcement collaboration, smart resource allocation, and public safety.” 

The EFR standard applies to three common felony gun possessions charges that do not involve the discharge of a weapon, or a victim: 

• unlawful possession of a weapon; 
• unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon; and 
• aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon. 

"This program strengthens safety in our city by getting our officers back on the street faster, while making the process to hold gun possession offenders accountable more efficient," said Superintendent Larry Snelling. "We thank the Cook County State's Attorney’s Office for their partnership in bringing this initiative into every police district following the success of the pilot program." 

The initiative builds on the success of a pilot program launched this year in January in the 007th District (Englewood) and expanded in April to the 005th District (Calumet) – two of Chicago’s busiest police districts. During the course of the pilot, 99% of EFR cases survived a preliminary hearing or resulted in a grand jury true bill. 

Cases eligible for EFR must be supported by body-worn camera footage, and a CPD Watch Commander must review and approve direct-filing of the case. All EFR cases are reviewed to determine whether felony charges are appropriate by prosecutors prior to it being presented to a judge at a preliminary hearing, or in front of a grand jury. Police officers also have the opportunity to consult with felony review for legal guidance before utilizing the EFR standard. 

“The EFR pilot has been an unqualified success, which is a testament to the thorough training protocol, as well as CPD’s judicious application of the program,” Burke said. “Addressing the horrific cost of gun violence remains my highest priority, and having this new standard available citywide will aid that effort.” 

From the earliest days of her administration, State’s Attorney Burke directed the office to examine the felony review process to ensure that victims of violent crime can be served effectively, efficiently, and in a trauma-informed manner. Cook County is unique among large prosecutors’ offices in employing a Felony Review Unit, which reviews evidence, provides law enforcement guidance, and issues charging decisions around the clock on nearly all felony offenses. Felony review is a critical and time-tested function of the office, but has long been a source of frustration for prosecutors assigned to the unit and police officers alike.  

Cases sent to felony review are prioritized based on the seriousness of the offense, so officers looking to charge victimless gun cases sometimes end up waiting hours for a call-back. Unlike more serious crimes (including murder, aggravated battery, and sexual assault) where prosecutors assigned to felony review will travel to the police district to evaluate evidence and potentially talk to witnesses, lower-level gun possession cases are addressed over the phone. 

“From day one, law enforcement partners told us that the traditional felony review process—while essential—was also a major pain point, not only because it kept them from returning to the beat to answer calls for service, but because delays often left victims and witnesses waiting for hours and ultimately abandoning their initial intent to cooperate with the police,” Burke said. “We have taken those concerns seriously and are continuing to look at ways to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Expedited Felony Review is the first of many steps we are taking to ensure a faster, more streamlined process for victims, witnesses, our law enforcement partners, and the communities we serve.” 

The foundation of the EFR standard is a comprehensive training program developed by CCSAO senior policy and Felony Review Unit leadership. This training is rooted in constitutional policing, with a focus on the Fourth Amendment. This training builds off the mandatory training all CPD officers receive annually in areas that include the Fourth Amendment, implicit bias and procedural justice. More than a dozen in-person trainings have been conducted among CPD leadership and at district roll calls before the pilot was launched. Additional trainings will take place across the City and through an online module prepared by CCSAO in conjunction with CPD over the next two months, with full integration anticipated by late January 2026.  

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