On August 8 Judge Laura Sullivan took her place on the bench in Cook County’s central bond court, where the process of deciding who would sit in jail and who would walk free began just after noon. Most days, it ends less than two hours later, after whichever judge is on the bench that day spends an average of a minute apiece determining the price of liberty for more than 100 recently arrested men and women.

In bond court, a prosecutor boiled down the account to a few facts: Wyman had led police on a car and foot chase, and he was now facing 11 felony counts on charges of fleeing from police, aggravated battery against a peace officer, driving on a suspended license, resisting arrest, and possession of cannabis. The prosecutor noted that Wyman had previously been convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and gun possession. On two occasions he’d failed to appear for dates in court.

The narrative, again, was truncated in court: he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, and the prosecutor stated that Michael had previously been convicted of drug possession and, 22 years ago, of attempting to conceal a homicide (though not of the homicide itself). At the time of his arrest, Michael was on parole for burglary.

But the public defender pointed out to the judge that the current accusation wasn’t the most heinous of crimes: “Your honor, this is for the alleged theft of six bars of Dove soap worth $8.”

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Not surprisingly, Leonard, the soap thief, couldn’t come up with the $2,500 he needed and sat in jail for more than a month awaiting trial. Finally, on September 11, he was convicted of retail theft, and the next day he was shipped to prison downstate.

Michael, the repeat drug offender, was also unable to come up with the cash to bail out. He was held in the jail for three weeks—until a judge found there was no probable cause to sustain the charges and dismissed the case, as is common when such a small quantity of narcotics is involved. So Michael was incarcerated, at a cost to taxpayers of about $3,000, for an allegation of possessing $5 worth of drugs that was, by the court’s estimation, without merit.

If anyone needed a warning that the jail population is getting out of hand, it came late last summer. On August 20 Cook County sheriff Tom Dart announced that the inmate count had climbed to 10,182, its highest level in six years.

Martell T.: In court August 8, charged with possessing about an ounce of marijuana. Has prior convictions for marijuana possession.

Placed on home confinement with electronic monitoring.

Chaundell W.: In court September 18, charged with manufacturing/delivering one to 15 grams of heroin and violation of probation. Prior convictions for narcotics.

$10,000 bond. (Still in jail.)

Kurtis M.: In court September 18, charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon for possessing a loaded revolver. No prior convictions.

$20,000 bond. (Bailed out on August 25, skipped next court date.)

Antwon M.: In court September 18, charged with unlawful use of a weapon for possessing a loaded eight-millimeter handgun. On juvenile probation for gun possession.

$30,000 bond. (Still in jail.)

Jerome Y.: In court September 24, charged with aggravated battery and resisting arrest. Prior conviction for reckless conduct.

$50,000 bond. (Still in jail.)

Theodore S.: In court September 18, charged with retail theft for shoplifting wine, Tylenol, and Advil worth a total of $22.77. Dozens of prior arrests, convictions for trespassing and theft.

$60,000 bond. (Jailed until September 25, when the charges were dropped.)

Charles F.: In court September 18, charged with manufacture/delivery of one gram of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school, attempted sale to an undercover officer. Four prior narcotics convictions.

$100,000 bond. (Still in jail.)

Byron Champ, Tabari Young, Brad Jett, Kewane Gatewood: In court September 24, charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm for the shooting of 13 people at a Back of the Yards park.

No bond—jailed pending trial.

State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez blames county board president Toni Preckwinkle for funding shortfalls.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans blames Preckwinkle for funding shortfalls and Sheriff Tom Dart for not placing more inmates on electronic monitoring.

Sheriff Tom Dart blames Evans for not releasing more inmates on electronic monitoring and for hasty decisions in bond court.

County board president Toni Preckwinkle blames Evans for hasty decisions in bond court and everyone else for their “decidedly mixed” efforts to cooperate.

Commissioner John Fritchey blames all the finger-pointing.