(NewsNation) — As local and state law enforcement prepares to host the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, a special courtroom has been prepared to help streamline the processing of protesters who are arrested during the event.
An old courtroom that hadn’t been used in years was transformed specifically to handle possible mass arrests during the DNC. NewsNation got an exclusive look inside the preparations as officials anticipate as many as 30,000 pro-Palestinian protesters.
Chicago police officers have received specialized deescalation training but are expecting violence and vandalism at the DNC following anti-war protests in New York City and Washington, D.C.
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“Anyone who breaks the law, whatever their political affiliation or cause, will be held fully accountable,” Chicago leaders said ahead of the political event.
“Typically, what we see in protest cases are nonviolent offenses. There’s no reason to delay people’s release,” said Judge Mary Marubio, who oversees the Circuit Court of Cook County’s pretrial division.
CPD officials say they are expecting between 10,000 and 30,000 protesters during the DNC. They will allow these individuals to exercise their First Amendment right to protest but will try to keep as much peace as possible.
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Protesters arrested while marching at the DNC will be brought to a police station five miles north of the United Center, where many of the conference’s events will be taking place. The once-defunct courtroom in the station can now hold nearly 100 people.
“The decision was made mostly at the suggestion of the Chicago Police Department to centralize these unique set of circumstances, these coordinated multiple arrests so it doesn’t interfere with our day-to-day business,” Marubio told NewsNation.
A new Illinois law called the Pretrial Fairness Act essentially eliminates cash bail, meaning most arrestees during the DNC won’t be required to appear in front of a judge. People obstructing traffic, engaging in reckless conduct and resisting arrest, among other crimes, may still end up in handcuffs but may also get off quickly with a citation and a notice to appear at a later date.
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“For anyone who is charged with an act of violence, they may not be released as quickly, so there are consequences for a re-arrest and violating the conditions of release,” Marubio explained.
In addition to preparing the courtroom, criminal jury trials have also been cleared for the week of the DNC, and criminal judges from other divisions of Cook County have been asked to clear their calendars in case they need to be called into action to help process those arrested.
An additional 30 courtrooms have also been cleared out in the very unlikely case the first one overflows, according to city officials.
Recent events have given the Chicago Police Department a dry run in handling mass arrests and how the Pretrial Fairness Act operates in these circumstances. In May, about 50 people were arrested during a Pride event. The juveniles were sent to juvenile court, and some were cleared and released without any charges. Ultimately, only nine people made it all the way through the initial court appearances.
