New gun court to hold Rockford area suspects accountable
ROCKFORD — Starting May 16, anyone charged with unlawful possession of a firearm will likely see their case go to gun court.
Wednesday, Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley announced the creation of the specialty court, an idea he first pitched to the public nearly two years ago on the campaign trail.
"We're in the midst of a violent crime spike and illegal firearms are at the heart of such violence," Hanley said. "Gun court alone will not solve this problem. However, it is a necessary and unique strategy to foster consistency and certainty in prosecuting those who illegally possess guns in our community."
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Hanley said the primary goals of the court are to hold offenders accountable, reduce recidivism among those who commit gun crimes and dole out consistent sentencing to incentivize law-abiding behavior.
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Joe McGraw will preside over the court. Veteran assistant state's attorneys Kris Carpenter and Amy Ohtani have been assigned to prosecute the cases. The court also will have assigned public defenders and probation officers.
The effectiveness of the program, Hanley said, will be monitored on a quarterly basis.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Specialized gun court launched to fight crime in Rockford area
