In this episode of Reimagining Law, we talk to Judge Robbin J. Stuckert of the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court and Keith Grant, Chief, Special Defense at the Lake County Public Defender’s Office and President of the Illinois Public Defender Association. Judge Stuckert and Keith discuss their work on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices, the status of cash bail in Illinois, and the recently signed criminal justice reform bill.
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Timestamps
- 1:42 – In April 2020 you presented the Illinois Supreme Court with an 86-page report outlining 54 recommendations from 2-plus years of study. How did the Court respond?
- 4:32 – What has changed in the last 30 years when it comes to how Illinois courts address pretrial issues? And how does pretrial practice impact the job of a public defender?
- 6:57 – I want to give both of you the opportunity to talk about the interplay between the work of your Task Force and the police and criminal justice reform bill that was signed into law in Illinois including abolishing cash bail by 2023. How are these related and how do you balance the interplay between multiple branches of the Illinois government?
- 11:14 – Let’s say the three of us are having this conversation two years from now, what do you hope would be the current situation of the Task Force and pretrial services in general in Illinois?
Related Reading
- Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices Final Report
- Civility Inspires Confidence in the Rule of Law
- The Future Is Now: Legal Innovation and the Rule of Law
- Robin Steinberg: The Human Cost of Cash Bail
Judge Robbin J. Stuckert
Robbin J. Stuckert is a judge of the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. Judge Stuckert was elected in 2004 and successfully ran for retention in 2016.
In 2001, Judge Stuckert was appointed as the first female associate judge for the Illinois 16th Judicial Circuit Court. In 2003, she became the first female to be appointed circuit judge in DeKalb County. The following year, Judge Stuckert was elected in the November general election to retain her seat as circuit judge. On December 1, 2012, she was appointed the first female presiding judge to serve the DeKalb County judicial circuit.
She served as Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices.
Keith Grant
Keith Grant is the Chief, Special Defense at the Lake County Public Defender’s Office. He also serves as the President of the Illinois Public Defender Association. As a member of the Commission on Pretrial Practices, Keith helped to create a set of recommendations to provide guidance regarding comprehensive pretrial reform in the Illinois criminal justice system.
About Reimagining Law
The Reimagining Law video series explores how legal and judicial professionals are adapting the delivery of services to meet the unique needs of today’s consumers. Reimagining Law is produced by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.
This video was recorded on February 26, 2021.
Check out more episodes of Reimagining Law here.