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* We talked yesterday about how the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board had decertified Riverside police officer Zenna Ramos in April of this year. Ramos said she was enduring domestic abuse at the time she was busted for retail theft of $14.99 merchandise from JC Penney, but she eventually rehabilitated herself and became a Cicero police officer. When she got a job with the Riverside PD, the ILETSB stretched the law and decertified her.
As part of our discussion, it came out that Ramos had been placed on the Cook County State’s Attorney’s “Do Not Call List” (otherwise known as a Brady List), which was released to the public in July.
I reached out this morning to the state’s attorney’s office with some questions…
1) When was Ramos put on the Brady list?
2) Why was Ramos put on the list?
3) How many other law enforcement officers are on that list for petty crimes committed more than 10 years before they became LEOs?
4) Does the SAO intend to conduct a review of Ramos’ case? If so, will that extend to other officers who may be in a similar situation?
I also pointed out that if Kim Foxx had been state’s attorney in 2008, Ramos would never have even been charged for a $14.99 retail theft bust.
* Anyway, here’s the response I received…
Upon notification from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) in April 2023, the officer was placed on the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) do not call list. Any police officer that is decertified is automatically placed on this list.
So, Ramos wasn’t on the CCSAO’s do not call list for committing petty crimes years ago. She was on the list because the ILETSB decertified her, even though retail theft isn’t on its own list of decertifying offenses.
Ramos is appealing the decertification and, if successful, she can then appeal her placement on the do not call list.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 11:44 am
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Not sure about the other questions, but the list says she was added on 4/19/2023.
Comment by Anon E Moose Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 11:52 am
D’oh. Should’ve read the rest of the post. Sorry Rich.
Comment by Anon E Moose Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 11:54 am
===Should’ve read the rest of the post===
Or the headline
lol
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 11:56 am
Ya got me
Comment by Anon E Moose Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 11:59 am
Imagine the amount of time, energy, effort, stress, and money it’s costing for Ramos and her family because of this inane deal out of the ILETSB.
Just staggering to think how easy it was for some insider hack to disrupt and destroy someone’s life for a couple of $15 t-shirts over 15 years ago.
When people who work for the Government wonder why folks get mad at government workers or why politicians tout they will cut bureaucratic bloat, stories like this are why.
Comment by Frida's boss Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 12:15 pm
I don’t believe it’s accurate to say that Ramos would never have been charged had SA Foxx been in office. Foxx’s policy is to charge shoplifting cases under $1000 as misdemeanors rather than felonies (the felony threshold under State law is $300), but as far as I know they are still charging these cases.
Comment by charles in charge Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 12:19 pm
=== I don’t believe it’s accurate to say that Ramos would never have been charged had SA Foxx been in office. ===
That’s a red herring. As I pointed out yesterday, “retail theft” was not on the list of barring offenses in 2008, and it is not on the list of barring offenses today. “Retail theft” is not, as the board claims, “equivalent” to “theft,” which is why illinois statute lists them as separate and distinct crimes. If the legislature wanted to bar people for shoplifting, they have had ample and repeated opportunity to do so by adding it to the list of enumerated offenses.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 12:30 pm
==That’s a red herring.==
My comment was specifically directed at Rich’s claim that Ramos wouldn’t have been charged at all under SA Foxx. I’m pretty sure that’s inaccurate. I never argued that it was proper or justified for LETSB to decertify her, or for the CCSAO to put her on the Brady list. Go jump down someone else’s throat.
Comment by charles in charge Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 12:50 pm
A case like this is where a police union is supposed to do a good job defending a good cop. All we ever hear about though is the police union defending really egregious behaviors. Ramos is not one of those cases.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 12:55 pm
The ILETSB was given too much authority to begin with. Even worse, they have the authority to waive their own rules as they see fit. The law should be changed to the ILETSB being more of having an advisory function and no mandatory authority over anything. Frivolously deciding to enforce or waive enforcement of laws must stop.
Comment by DuPage Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 2:17 pm
It’s s strange to read things like she “rehabilitated herself” or “turned her life around” to become a police officer. She shoplifted one time out of desperation, for chrissakes.
Comment by Politix Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 2:22 pm
===The law should be changed===
At the very least, the board should be voting on these things. It should not be up to individual staff members. The ICC, the Board of Elections, etc. never allow staff to have the final decision.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 2:24 pm
Show of hands who else wonders why the office left Cicero to move over to Riverside. Are there other priorities? Questions questions.
Comment by ANNON'IN Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 2:42 pm
===Questions questions. ===
Oh stop. They not only hired her, they are keeping the position open for her and put her on the payroll in another office.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 2:52 pm
@ANNON’IN She said she moved to Riverside for the slower pace and tested into the 2nd on the hiring list. She said she wanted more time for thoughtful interaction with people. She’s the kind of officer communities deserve but rarely get.
Comment by Politix Thursday, Aug 24, 23 @ 3:25 pm