On July 15, 2026, the Cook County Criminal Justice Committee reconvened to receive and file the Chicago Cook County Violence Against Women Task Force report, which includes recommendations to improve domestic violence processes. The meeting featured testimony from survivors, a presentation by task force partners, and discussion among commissioners. The item was moved by Commissioner Miller and seconded by Commissioner Anaya, and passed unanimously.
I will now reconvene the meeting of the criminal justice committee. And now I would move that Michael's guide. Chair the meeting. Roll call. All in favor. All in favor. Aye. The eyes have it. Madam Secretary, do we still have a quorum? At your recess meeting, you had all members present with the exception of absence for Commissioner Britton. Excuse absences for Commissioner Gaynor, Commissioner Moore, Commissioner Sean Morrison, and Commissioner Stamps. We will add Commissioner Kevin Morrison to the role. Thank you. You were your own role. Yep. We don't have uh remote participation, correct? Correct. Any additions to the agenda? You do not have any additions to your agenda, but you do have several public speakers. Before we get started with public speakers, I just would like to apologize for the wait. We appreciate your willingness to wait and this issue. So uh we just want to make sure that you understand we we apologize and we appreciate you. Um Madam Secretary, if you can now uh read the rules of participation. Rules for public speaking, persons authorized to provide public testimony shall not use vulgar, abusive, discriminatory, profane, or otherwise inappropriate language when addressing the board. Failure to act appropriately or failure to adhere to the time requirements may result in expulsion from the meeting and or disqualify the person from providing future testimony. All speakers will have three minutes. I will notify you when one minute is left and 30 seconds. Your first speaker is George Blakemore, who I do not see in the room. Following George Blakemore, Rorinda Alley and Diane Brown. If you are still in a room, can you please proceed to the public testimony, Mike? Retrinda Alley and Diane Brown. And if you could state your name for the record and proceed. Hello, my name is Retrenda Alley. Good morning, Commissioners. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Thank you. It's been a long day, yeah. My docket number uh 2010 D080864 goes back to 2010. Illinois law, the Illinois Domestic Violence Act requires courts to weigh a respondent's pattern of past abuse. That's the statute and not my opinion. My file shows that pattern. A 2022 preliminary protective order violated and documented by email in orders of temporary and no in orders of therapy and supervised visitation, which he never complied with. A decade of child support noncompliance followed, including a 2016 order of modification to $90 a month for 26 weeks that left that was left lapsed and only pays fairly sensed. And a 2024 purge order with a body attachment, which is still unenforced two years later. While I've just spent thousands of dollars chasing orders that are already um on the docket, it's already in the system. Judge Maritza Martinez and her court staff with no reporter in sight, court reporter, um, had access to the same Click County records that I found in a matter of minutes. That pattern um it shows the lack of due diligence that was done by this justice system, which I've depended on when it comes to reporting crimes and things like that, just not taking matters into my own hands. Um, but that has left me searching for more resources. Um I really found that the survivors um within this city have been the ones supporting me through this uh 14 year stint of dealing with this individual that I've uh partnered with.