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COOK COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY BURKE DETAILS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESPONSE WITH ABC7 INVESTIGATIVE TEAM

Structural changes ensure experienced prosecutors handle domestic violence homicides; detention sought for offenders in domestic violence batteries

 

 

CHICAGO — Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke sat down with the ABC7 Investigative Team to detail sweeping changes she’s made to how domestic violence cases are handled, part of new focus to better protect survivors and hold offenders accountable.  

Referring to the alarming trend of domestic violence killings as a “house on fire,” Burke explained how she revamped the office’s Special Victims Bureau (SVB) to employ best practices and ensure seasoned Assistant State’s Attorneys (ASAs) are prosecuting the most violent attacks. The office also sent additional investigative manpower to DV court to ensure prosecutors present as full a picture as possible to judges when seeking protective orders or detention. Since the beginning of the year, ABC7 reported, Chicago has recorded 29 domestic-related homicides. Advocates told ABC7 that the spike in fatal domestic violence incidents warrants more attention.  

“We knew immediately that we had to focus on domestic violence,” SA Burke told the I-Team. "We have restructured the entire system to make sure that we have the best people in place.   We have our most experienced State's Attorneys ready to take on those [domestic violence-related] types of murder cases, so that we get people justice in a quick fashion." 

Burke established the new SVB to handle domestic violence crimes, sexual assaults and rapes, and crimes against children and other vulnerable victims. The SVB follows trauma-informed best practices, providing more continuity to victims navigating the criminal justice system and allowing prosecutors to build specialized skills for managing the sensitive dynamics inherent in abuse cases. Other changes implemented in the new SVB include: 

  • Addition of one supervisor and two investigators to First Appearance Court  
  • Obtaining access to orders of protections granted in divorce court and other independent proceedings that prosecutors were previously blocked from reviewing. 
  • Petitioning for pretrial detention in all felony domestic battery cases. During the first four months of Burke’s term, the Cook County Jail recorded an 81% increase in offenders being held on domestic violence battery charges. 
  • Following a vertical prosecution model, enabling the same ASAs to represent the State at every hearing in the lifecycle of a case and providing continuity for victims. 
  • Requiring ASAs to have significant courtroom experience before transferring to the SVB. 

Burke has also championed legislation to better support survivors of abuse. During the most recent Illinois General Assembly session, Burke marshalled the passage of a bill centered on domestic violence and sex crimes that calls for a series of reforms, including extending the statute of limitations on grooming; changing language used in charging statutes from “child pornography” to child sex abuse imagery; and expanding the definition of “family member” in certain sex crimes. House Bill 2690 — sponsored by Illinois State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights) and Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) — passed with unanimous bipartisan support and is headed to the Governor’s desk.  

 

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