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* State’s attorneys have repeatedly called out the governor for this anecdote about moms shoplifting diapers as not reflecting actual reality. But Gov. Pritzker continues using it…
Keep in mind that Darren Bailey is defending a system that’s in place now, where wealthy, the violent people can go free if they have enough cash. And we’re talking murderers and rapists and domestic abusers being led out because they happen to have enough money. And yet someone who might be a shoplifter, a young mother who you know steals diapers and formula, might be put in jail and not be able to get out because she does have a couple hundred dollars to get out awaiting trial.
* From the Chicago Tribune’s story on Darren Bailey…
In one of his daily devotionals that he posts on Facebook, Darren Bailey read passages from Ephesians that included God’s guidance that “slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear.” Bailey said of the slave reference that “we know today what that means is people, if you’re working for someone, if you have someone above you in authority, you know, respect.”
But then he continued reading the passage that included, “Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good that we do, whether we were slaves or free. Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them. Remember, you both have the same master in heaven and he has no favorites.”
I mean, even if he’s right about the passage pertaining to workers and not to actual slaves (and there’s some real debate about that), why even bring it up?
* From the Tribune’s story on Illinois Supreme Court candidate Mark Curran…
This year, in an interview on the political news show “Public Affairs,” he told host Jeff Berkowitz that God prompted him to run for the court after allowing him to see that Freemasons, members of a fraternal organization that has clashed with Catholicism, held sway over the judicial system in Lake County.
Curran walked back some of those comments in his interview with the Tribune. He said he believes many same-sex parents are doing a good job raising their children, and that his concerns were based in religious liberty. He added he didn’t write everything on his Facebook page, doesn’t think the election was rigged against Trump and doesn’t believe the Freemasons still control Lake County’s courts.
As for his faith, he said it is based in “natural law,” and that compels him to rule upon laws as they are, not how he might want them to be. The former Democrat said he is no lockstep partisan, and suggested some of his remarks had a political calculation.
“I ran for U.S. Senate,” he said. “Regardless of how I felt about it, how do you think it would have worked out if I just threw President Trump under the bus? It’s not going to be well-received.”
The “religious liberty” line was mainly in defense of people who didn’t want to serve LGBTQ customers. And that’s what you might call natural law.
And he admits that he went all-in for Trump to avoid upsetting the guy and his followers?
Also, how did he come to the conclusion about the Freemasons controlling Lake County’s courts? Bizarre.
* Same Tribune story…
Curran also points to Rochford’s campaign contributions to Chicago power broker Ald. Edward Burke, including a $1,500 donation recorded weeks after federal agents raided the alderman’s offices in 2018 (he has since been indicted on racketeering and bribery charges).
Rochford’s spokeswoman said that check had been written before the news broke, and that the contributions had been a way of honoring the judge’s late father James Rochford, a Chicago police superintendent who had a tradition of donating to Burke’s annual Christmas event.
If that’s truly the reason, then she shoulda had more sense than that.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:25 am
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The more you hear about Curran, the more you want him to be defeated.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:33 am
To States Attorneys: If you use unrealistic scenarios to defend your arguments, don’t criticize others for doing the same.
The bottom line is whether it’s judicially fair when one of two people who are alleged to commit the same crime is sitting in jail while the other is out on bond because he has money.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:38 am
“nd doesn’t believe the Freemasons still control Lake County’s courts.”
When does he feel this control by the Freemasons ended then? Since he says “still control”.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:39 am
“someone who might be a shoplifter, a young mother who you know steals diapers and formula, might be put in jail and not be able to get out because she does have a couple hundred dollars”
JB shouldn’t deal in hypotheticals.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:44 am
What does he mean by “Freemasons?” Anti-Catholic conspirators?
Comment by walker Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:45 am
This misinformation from Pritzker must stop. Truth matters, now more than ever. The very concept of democracy is on the line, and our own Governor is spreading misinformation. Ugh.
Comment by SaveDemocracy Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:52 am
–Freemasons, members of a fraternal organization that has clashed with Catholicism–
Wildly off topic, but this would be better written as “Catholicism has clashed with Freemaons”.
The conspiracies created around groups like the Freemasons and the Illuminati, and how they were a threat to the world, were propagated by the dominant power structures of the time in the 18th century - the Catholic church. The purpose of the Illuminati was to ’shine the light of knowledge on the ignorance of superstition’. Pretty easy to see why the church had a problem with that.
The Catholic Church to this day has a prohibition on any Catholics becoming members of the Freemasons - the freemasons however have no such restrictions against Catholics joining them.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:52 am
“..doesn’t believe the Freemasons still control Lake County’s courts.”
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s the Illuminati. s/
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:54 am
This misinformation from the States Attorneys must stop. Truth matters, now more than ever. The very concept of democracy and justice is on the line, and our own States Attorneys are spreading misinformation. Ugh.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:57 am
What’s the beef with talking about shoplifters? Is shoplifting a crime that currently releases without bail already, or something else?
Comment by The Velvet Frog Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 10:59 am
If it’s not misinformation is it really too much to ask the Governor to provide proof of a single Mother in Illinois sitting in jail for 6 months for misdemeanor crime of stealing baby formula and diapers because she didn’t have a couple of hundred dollars in bail money?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:11 am
= “we know today what that means is people, if you’re working for someone, if you have someone above you in authority, you know, respect.”=
Wait, the bible says slaves and bailey says it means something else? I thought bailey was a “take the bible literally” kinda guy? When did this change? His schools’ curricula would not jove with his new interpretation.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:16 am
@Velvet Frog.
Currently shoplifting a misdemeanor amount is a Category B offense. That means that if a money bond is set the amount is reduced by $30 per day, and eventually the defendant will be released when the $30 per day credit is equal to the amount the bond was set at.
Usually in misdemeanor shoplifting cases the defendant is given a signature bond. That means that they don’t have to post any bail, they just sign a recognizance form saying that they will make all their court dates.
Pritzker is right that a Judge can set a money bond for the offense of misdemeanor shoplifting. A money bond is relatively rare, but it can and does happen. The single mother will get out of jail eventually, as the $30 credit eats away at the bond amount.
Comment by Guzzelpot Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:18 am
Perhaps too much incense over the years clouded Curran’s thinking.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:23 am
Thanks for the info. So it sounds like it’s not common for cash bail for shoplifting but it does happen. Looks like the six months claim was the wrong part and I don’t see him using that here. Someone arrested for shoplifting shouldn’t be held because they can’t afford bail, not even for a few days.
Comment by The Velvet Frog Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:40 am
I suspect Dick Bigger Jr. is in control?
Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:48 am
“Also, how did he come to the conclusion about the Freemasons controlling Lake County’s courts?”
You can learn whole a lot from those John Birch pamphlets.
– MrJM
Comment by MisterJayEm Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 11:52 am
= “Also, how did he come to the conclusion about the Freemasons controlling Lake County’s courts?” =
In fairness to Curran (can’t believe I said that), back in the day (’70s, ’80s) a goodly number of the judges were also Masons, and it didn’t hurt, if you wanted to become an associate judge, to join.
Of course, the same could be said of being a white, male, Republican.
Comment by JoanP Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:09 pm
“someone who might be a shoplifter…”
It’s clearly a hypothetical. If you want the governor to cite a real world example, fine, but this one is clearly not intended to be real. What’s the problem, for people who aren’t already actively trying to beat the governor?
Comment by Socially DIstant watcher Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:17 pm
@Velvet Frog
The example I gave was for misdemeanor shoplifting. I haven’t handled a shoplifting case in a few years. Things are different when you are charged with felony shoplifting. Perhaps JB was thinking of that when he mentioned six months.
Comment by Guzzlepot Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:40 pm
I am so tired of the state’s attorneys pushing misinformation, and going to war to continue the present unfair system of cash bail. They are literally defending that rich people should get out of jail because they have money and poor people belong in jail. It’s that simple. Letting the judge decide who should be held, irrespective of resources, is clearly a much fairer way to go. Stop misrepresenting the law already… live up to the ethical standards your law degree requires.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:50 pm
==The example I gave was for misdemeanor shoplifting.==
In Illinois, the threshold for felony shoplifting is $300. So, it’s fairly easy to see how JB’s scenario could happen. If you wonder why a DA would want to keep an accused shoplifter in jail, the longer that person sits in a cell awaiting trial, the easier it is to get them to sign a plea deal for time served. That deal looks more and more attractive the longer the person sits and watches their world crumble (lost job, lost home, lost family, etc.). If those folks are out and working, they are less likely to plead.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 12:58 pm
With respect to the Curran thing, the Anti-Masonic Party was a thing in the 1830’s; maybe Curran is just taking his conservative ideal farther back than most. (Although, not so far back that he runs into the many early leaders of the country who were Freemasons.)
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 1:03 pm
===In Illinois, the threshold for felony shoplifting is $300. So, it’s fairly easy to see how JB’s scenario could happen===
Granted, I haven’t shopped for diapers in a while, but I cannot imagine trying to shoplift that many.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 1:20 pm
–Anti-Masonic Party was a thing–
Yes it was. It was also formed and created based on unfounded conspiracies, and that freemasons were a threat to christianity. It was the q-anon of the 19th century, even calling their political opponents ‘perverts’.
The second incarnation of the group a few years later had ties in Illinois, with the founder of what would later become Wheaton College.
History is a fascinating subject, better than any fictional TV or movie.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 1:38 pm
Three hundred dollars is a pair of AirPods and a charger. It is easier to get to $300 than you would think.
Comment by Guzzlepot Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 1:43 pm
===a pair of AirPods and a charger===
The governor has never addressed the theft of AirPods.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 1:45 pm
Looks like the masons are still around but locally near me if there’s anything going on it’s cronyism with the moose/lions/elk guys.
Comment by The Velvet Frog Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 2:07 pm
“we know today what that means is people, if you’re working for someone, if you have someone above you in authority, you know, respect.”
So, wait. Where was his respect for the Governor during the pandemic when he refused to observe the stay-at-home order?
Comment by Professor Dread Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 2:29 pm
‘Granted, I haven’t been shopping for diapers in a while…”. Hang in there, the DEPENDS era is on the horizon.
Comment by Sayitaintso Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 3:33 pm
==Granted, I haven’t shopped for diapers in a while, but I cannot imagine trying to shoplift that many. ==
It adds up pretty quickly. A couple packs of diapers ($45-50 ea @ Target), a few cans of formula ($45-50 ea @ Target).
The other route to a felony is a second offense under $300.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Oct 24, 22 @ 8:42 pm