Dolan Law Offices represents the family of Mersaides McCauley, killed by a former boyfriend on parole for murder. The case has brought attention to the failings of current legistlation regardin parolees. The story has been covered by the Chicago Tribune.
By Angela Rozas | Tribune reporter
May 15, 2009Parolees accused of domestic violence would be automatically arrested for violating their parole under a measure sent to Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday.
The bill comes a little more than a year after a woman was killed in Chicago by a former boyfriend on parole for murder. Mersaides McCauley, 22, was shot to death by Glen Martinez five months after he was arrested for attacking her and a parole officer declined to push to revoke his parole and he was freed.
Under current state law, arrest warrants must be issued only if parolees commit felonies with a knife or firearm or don’t register as sex offenders. In all other cases, arrest warrants for parole violations are issued at the state’s discretion and decided on a case-by-case basis. The new law would take away that discretion for domestic violence crimes.