By Todd Wineburner

Legislation signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker just a few days ago should be beneficial to victims of sexual assault. State Senator Jason Barickman sponsored the legislation in the Illinois Senate, and it creates options for police officers responding to a complaint.

Under previous law, police responding to a charge of sexual assault would first check the background of the person filing the complaint. If outstanding warrants were discovered, police were required to place the individual under arrest. Barickman says the warrants were often for minor offenses, so asking police to arrest the individual only served to make the victim’s situation worse.

Under the new law, officers will have the option of contacting area state’s attorneys and judges to make a decision about whether the warrants should take top priority.

“It’s a good example of a common sense fix,” Barickman says, “to a law that was producing some unintended consequences.” Barickman says the bill is also a good example of a successful bi-partisan effort that included input from Republicans and Democrats, as well as law enforcement and various agencies involved in these types of situations.

To hear WJEZ’s complete conversation with State Senator Jason Barickman, click the podcasts link on the WJEZ.com homepage.