Chicagoland Federal Judge Advocates for Increased Penalties Under Sentencing Guidelines
Federal District Court Judge Iain Johnston in Rockford, along with former Illinois State Police Col. Mike Snyders, wrote a letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission advocating for stiffer penalties for those who are found to have illegally possessed a gun “switch” with a firearm. A gun switch, often referred to colloquially as a “Glock switch”, is an illegal device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic one. It is typically a small metal or plastic component that can be 3D-printed or manufactured illegally and then attached to a firearm that modifies the firearm’s trigger, allowing it to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. According to Judge Johnston, under the current sentencing guidelines anyone sentenced in connection with illegally possessing a switch with a firearm only sees a modest increase in their sentencing guidelines, which Johnston and other proponents feel do not adequately addresses the potential harm from these devices and have advocated for larger increases under the guidelines. Johnston wrote that the ability to combine a switch with an extended magazine clip or drum, allowing for a perpetrator to hold more ammunition, is “beyond terrifying” and that their prevalence is only increasing. According to the letter, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Chicago seized 473 shipments containing a total of 1,507 switches just last year and that law enforcement had seen a rise in the number of switches recovered in crimes by more than 784% from 2019-2023 and that the number only seems to be growing this year.
New Cook County Prosecutor Vows Harsher Penalties for Switches and Other Illegal Firearm Modifications
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neil Burke recently announced a new policy for her Office directing prosecutors to seek prison sentences in all cases for anyone charged with possessing a switch, machine guns, extended magazines/drums, and other gun modifications in connection to any felony offense. Prosecutors will be prohibited from reducing charges or accepting plea deals that do not seek prison sentences for individuals sufficiently shown to have used a modified firearm in their case. At a speaking engagement, Burke said, “Our position is, you’re carrying a weapon of war that can fire off 30 rounds in one second, you’re a danger to the public.” The new policy is just one of the changes Burke has announced to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office policies in her bid to be tougher on crime. There are still avenues for defendants to receive leniency in their cases, as the new policy allows for supervisory approval in certain cases to accept reduced charges, but the overall policy is meant to bring stiffer punishments for violators according to Burke. Anyone accused of engaging in such criminal conduct should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who can mount the best possible defense, protecting your liberty and making sure your interests are best represented.
