Cook County Judge Carol Howard (R) let accused felon Marcell Hunter out on electronic monitoring. He then went on to murder a woman at a street party, allegedly. | Chicago Police/Cook County Court
Cook County Judge Carol Howard (R) let accused felon Marcell Hunter out on electronic monitoring. He then went on to murder a woman at a street party, allegedly. | Chicago Police/Cook County Court
Police say Marcell Hunter was wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet when he left his home in June to attend a street party in Englewood.
The 27 year-old is accused of shooting and killing 22 year-old Nikki Connor at the party "because he didn’t know who she was and he didn’t want her there," according to CWB Chicago.
Before the alleged murder, Hunter had been out awaiting trial on three felonies dating back to 2018. That's thanks to Cook County Judge Carol Howard, who released him to the public in February, insisting he stay at home.
Prosecutors say Hunter didn't.
According to CPD records, in 2018 police arrested Hunter, a convicted felon drug dealer first picked up at age 18, for possession of a firearm. He was released on electronic monitoring to await trial at home, but then "escaped" by cutting off his ankle monitor and stopped showing up for court dates.
Hunter then roamed the city "free" for three years before police finally caught up with him last September, claiming they found a gun in his car. He remained in jail for four months before Howard released him again in February.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Prtizker's SAFE-T Act decriminalizes electronic monitoring violations of less than 48 hours, allowing accused felons to "move freely" up to two days each week without penalty. Alas-- Hunter cannot be charged with taking off his monitor to allegedly murder Connor.
According to an analysis by CWB Chicago, Hunter is the 37th accused felon out on electronic monitoring accused of killing or shooting someone-- or attempting to kill or shoot someone.
"Set em’ free, room 203"
Howard, a former public defender who became a judge in 2006, "has been known for being soft on criminals," according to a 2018 report by Fox News Channel reporter Matt Finn.
"Cook County Judge Carol Howard is known among certain prosecutors as being so lenient on criminals that her courtroom, room 203, has earned the slogan of "set em’ free, room 203," Finn wrote.
His report quotes former Chicago prosector Rod Drobinski, who says Howard tries to side with violent criminals over prosecutors.
"It is pretty apparent that Judge Howard has a pro-defense slant,” Drobinski said. “The fact that we have defendants being found not guilty where there's a volume of evidence against them is concerning."
Judge Howard has been a leading implementer of SAFE-T Act provisions in Cook County by Chief Judge Tim Evans and State's Attorney Kim Foxx, allowing most accused of gun crimes and even murder to be released from jail to await trial on electronic monitoring.
These provisions will soon become law across all of Illinois.
In 2017, Howard let a man accused of three rapes, including kidnapping and raping a drunken woman trying to hail a cab in River North, out on electronic monitoring. She reduced his bail from $5,000,000 to $200,000.
In 2019, Howard let six-time convicted felon and alleged Two Six street gang member Joaquin Urcino, charged with felony use of a firearm by a felon while on parole, felony reckless discharge of a firearm; and felony possession of a controlled substance (cocaine)-- free on electronic monitoring.
When Howard does find defendants guilty, she gives light sentences.
She gave five years of probation in 2017 to a woman who dropped her newborn baby out of an Uptown window.
In 202, Howard gave 21 year--old Kamari Pleasant probation for his second felony gun charge.
Less than three weeks later, he shot 19 rounds at police chasing him on the South Side. Pleasant now stands charged with attempted murder of a police officer.
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