CBA Record July-August 2020

are Cook County Circuit Court Judge Charles S. Beach II; Brandon Peck, Part- ner at Peck Ritchey, LLC; Alexis Crawford Douglas, Partner at K&L Gates; Ashley Rafael, General Counsel at Midway Moving & Storage; Cook County Circuit Court Judge Claire Elizabeth McWil- liams; Antonio M. Romanucci, Founding Partner of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC;

Juan Morado, Jr., Partner at Benesch Law; and U.S. District Court Magistrate Presiding Judge Maria Valdez. The meeting concluded with a tribute by CBA Immediate Past President Steven M. Elrod to Murphy, the CBA’s longtime Executive Director who will retire in Sep- tember. Calling him the “heart and soul” of the Association, Elrod introduced a

photo tribute to Murphy as John Lennon’s iconic 1971 song “Imagine” played in the background. “I know we all look forward to a day where we can all be together in person, as I prefer it, to praise his accomplishments and raise a glass to the legendary Terry Murphy,” said Elrod. “That’s something to imagine.”

CBA Hosts Forum on Federal Reentry Program By Sally Daly, CBA Public Affairs Director T he issue of prisoner reentry has taken on new urgency in recent years, as many formerly incarcer-

ated individuals return to society seek- ing a fresh start. The CBA and Union League Club of Chicago’s public affairs committees teamed up to present a con- tinuing legal education program June 9 that featured a compelling presentation from two federal court judges and U.S. Congressman Danny Davis about the federal court’s Second Chance Reentry Program. The James B. Moran Second Chance Program is a reentry court designed to help former inmates reintegrate into the community and live law-abiding lives. The CLE program, which featured Davis and U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman and U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Cox, explored how the court functions, including how individuals are vetted and placed into the program, and employment and recidivism issues. The program was moderated by CBA Public Affairs Committee Chair Robert Kreisman. Typically, individuals placed in the Second Chance program have already served at least five years or longer in prison, and the most common criminal offense is a non-violent drug conspiracy charge, according to Judge Cox. Par- ticipants who successfully complete the program receive a reduction in the terms of supervised release of up to 18 months or 50% off of the remaining term of supervised release, whichever is greater. “Our ultimate goal is that our partici-

Pictured left to right, clockwise from top: Robert D. Kreisman, Kreisman LawOffices, and Chair, CBA Public Affairs Committee; CongressmanDanny K. Davis, 7thDistrict of Illinois; Federal Magistrate Judge Susan Cox, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; and Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.

pants make a successful reentry into soci- ety, in that they become law-abiding citi- zens who connect with family and pursue productive educational and employment opportunities,” said Cox. Davis, a sponsor of the federal Second Chance Act of 2007 (which has been instrumental in creating reentry programs across the nation), noted that the United States incarcerates more people than any other developed nation, and that this type of programming is essential as the vast majority of those who go to prison eventually return to the community. Judge Coleman, who has been working

on the program for nearly a year, said sen- tencing criminal defendants is one of her most difficult duties as a judge, but that the Second Chance program provides the judiciary with an important alternative. “The issue is that we should not just want to punish, we want to be able to help rehabilitate and to help bring people back, and that is what this program strives to do,” said Coleman. To learn more and watch the on demand video of the seminar, go to www.chicagobar.org/cle (1.25 IL MCLE credit).

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