v.
Watkins-Romaine
2025 IL 130618
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS (Docket No. 130618) THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Appellant, v. DAMARCO WATKINS-ROMAINE, Appellee. Opinion filed January 24, 2025. JUSTICE NEVILLE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Chief Justice Theis and Justices Overstreet, Holder White, and Cunningham concurred in the judgment and opinion. Justice Rochford specially concurred, with opinion, joined by Justice O’Brien. OPINION ¶1 This appeal involves article 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (Code) (725 ILCS 5/art. 110 (West 2022)), as amended by Public Act 101-652 (eff. Jan. [1], 2023) 1 and Public Act 102-1104, § 70 (eff. Jan. [1], 2023). Specifically, this case involves the transition of defendants whose cases commenced prior to the effective date of the amended Code, from a pretrial system with monetary bail to the current system where monetary bail is abolished. ¶2 Defendant, Damarco Watkins-Romaine, was ordered released pending trial months before the effective date of the amended Code subject to a $350,000 bail. Watkins-Romaine never satisfied the amount set for monetary bail. After the amended Code became effective, Watkins-Romaine petitioned for release, contending that the financial condition of release was improper under the amended Code. The State responded with a petition to detain Watkins-Romaine under the amended Code. ¶3 The issue presented in this case is whether the State may file a petition to detain a defendant pretrial, in response to a defendant’s petition to remove the condition of monetary bail, where the defendant had been ordered released but could not satisfy the previously set monetary bail. The Cook County circuit court heard the competing petitions and denied Watkins-Romaine’s petition for release. The appellate court reversed, holding that “the legislature did not intend to allow the State to file a petition for pretrial detention under the circumstances of defendant’s case and that the State’s petition for detention was untimely.” 2024 IL App (1st) 232479, ¶ 53. ¶4 We allowed the State’s petition for leave to appeal pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 315 (eff. Dec. 7, 2023). For the following reasons, we reverse the judgment of the appellate court. ¶5 I. BACKGROUND ¶6 Watkins-Romaine was arrested when he turned himself in on August 31, 2023. Watkins-Romaine was charged with five counts of attempted first degree murder (720 ILCS 5/8-4(a), 9-1(a)(1) (West 2022)), one count of aggravated battery with
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a firearm (id. § 12-3.05(e)(1)), and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm (id. § 24-1.2(a)(2)). The charges emerged from the State’s allegation that, on November 23, 2022, Watkins-Romaine shot at the victim while both were driving their vehicles on Interstate 57 (I-57) in Chicago.
¶7 A. Circuit Court
¶8 On September 1, 2023, the circuit court held a hearing to determine whether Watkins-Romaine should be released from custody while he awaited trial. The State’s position was that Watkins-Romaine was “mandatory no bail” pursuant to section 110-4(a) of the Code (725 ILCS 5/110-4(a) (West 2020) (“All persons shall be bailable before conviction, except the following offenses where the proof is evident or the presumption great that the defendant is guilty of the offense: *** offenses for which a sentence of life imprisonment may be imposed as a consequence of conviction ***.”)). 2 The defense asked the circuit court to set a reasonable bond.
¶9 At the hearing, the State proffered the following. The victim was followed by a white SUV from a residence she was at to I-57. The victim began to merge onto I- 57 and observed the white SUV behind her. The victim heard multiple gunshots and her window shatter. The victim looked over and saw the white SUV two lanes over, with no vehicles between her vehicle and the white SUV. The victim observed a Black male driving the white SUV. No other occupants were in the vehicle. The victim sustained five gunshot wounds.
¶ 10 Officers obtained the white SUV’s license plate and learned it was registered to Watkins-Romaine’s girlfriend. Approximately 2½ hours after the shooting, officers located the white SUV at Watkins-Romaine’s girlfriend’s residence. A search warrant was executed after the vehicle was towed. Officers recovered a live 9- millimeter round from the driver’s side floorboard, which matched the brand and caliber of the rounds found at the crime scene. The white SUV tested positive for gunshot residue, and Watkins-Romaine’s DNA was found inside the vehicle.
Although the legislature carried out a repeal of section 110-4 in Public Act 102-1104, 2
§ 75 (eff. Jan. [1], 2023), those amendments were held in abeyance while this court considered the amendments’ constitutionality in Rowe v. Raoul, 2023 IL 129248, and the amendments ultimately took effect on September 18, 2023. See id. ¶ 52.
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Watkins-Romaine was a Firearm Owner’s Identification card holder. He purchased two boxes of ammunition on November 6, 2022, and the ammunition was the same brand and caliber as that found at the scene of the shooting and inside the white SUV.
¶ 11 Officers also obtained a warrant for Watkins-Romaine’s phone number. The officers learned that Watkins-Romaine’s phone had received calls around the time of the shooting and that cell site data indicated that his phone was in the vicinity of the shooting at the time of the shooting. Watkins-Romaine was arrested in January 2023 on an unrelated matter, and at the time of the arrest, he possessed a phone with the same number linked to the cell site data. Officers searched the phone and found a message from August 2022 stating that he had multiple firearms and would do harm on 99th Street every day.
¶ 12 The State asked the circuit court to order Watkins-Romaine held without bail. The defense argued that the State failed to establish that the proof was evident and the presumption great that Watkins-Romaine committed the charged offenses. The defense pointed to the lack of an identification, the weakness in the DNA evidence because Watkins-Romaine’s DNA would be expected to show up in his girlfriend’s car, especially because the two shared two minor children, and the police officers’ failure to locate the weapon. The defense stated that Watkins-Romaine was a “working individual” and a “great father” who provided for his two minor children. Watkins-Romaine did not have a criminal background and was expected to start a job with the Chicago Transit Authority on the following Tuesday.
¶ 13 The circuit court found that there was “a lot of circumstantial evidence of the nexus between” Watkins-Romaine and the victim. The court found that the State’s evidence was “not enough” to establish that the proof was evident and the presumption great that Watkins-Romaine committed the charged offenses. However, the court also found that the State had proffered “compelling circumstantial evidence,” enough to warrant a “significant bond in this case.” The court set bail at a “substantial” $350,000-D “to assure the safety of the public in light” of the State’s proffer. Watkins-Romaine was never able to post bail.
¶ 14 On September 18, 2023, the amendments to the Code went into effect. See Rowe v. Raoul, 2023 IL 129248, ¶¶ 4, 52. Among other provisions, the Code
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abolished monetary bail. See Pub. Act 101-652, § 10-255 (eff. Jan. [1], 2023) (adding 725 ILCS 5/110-1.5) (“the requirement of posting monetary bail is abolished”).
¶ 15 On December 7, 2023, Watkins-Romaine filed a petition for release under the Code. On December 13, 2023, at the first hearing after Watkins-Romaine filed his petition, the State filed a petition for pretrial detention. A hearing was held on the competing petitions the same day.
¶ 16 The State largely relied on the same evidence that it presented at the September 1, 2023, hearing. The State added that the victim was leaving her boyfriend’s residence, in the block of 99th Street and South Lowe Avenue, when the white SUV began following her. Watkins-Romaine’s cell phone messages indicated that he had a “prior beef” with the victim’s boyfriend. One message referenced Thanksgiving and taking revenge, while another message stated that Watkins-Romaine was going to shoot up a house on 99th Street. With respect to the DNA evidence, the State clarified that Watkins-Romaine’s DNA was found on the steering wheel, gear shifter, interior door handle, and five out of six cigarettes in the center console.
¶ 17 The circuit court denied Watkins-Romaine’s petition to be released. The court found that the State had met its burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that the proof was evident and the presumption great that Watkins- Romaine committed the charged offenses.
¶ 18 Watkins-Romaine filed a notice of appeal on December 19, 2023. In the notice, Watkins-Romaine raised four issues: (1) the State failed to meet its burden of proof to show he committed the charged offenses, (2) the State failed to meet its burden of proof to show he poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or the community, (3) the State failed to meet its burden of proof to show that no condition or combination of conditions could mitigate the real and present threat to the safety of any person or the community, and (4) the circuit court abused its discretion in ordering he remain in detention because the order was contrary to the prior determination that he should be released. Watkins-Romaine did not challenge the timeliness of the State’s petition to deny him pretrial release.
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¶ 19 B. Appellate Court
¶ 20 The appellate court reversed the circuit court’s judgment (2024 IL App (1st) 232479, ¶ 3), holding that “the legislature did not intend to allow the State to file a petition for pretrial detention under the circumstances of [Watkins-Romaine’s] case and that the State’s petition for detention was untimely” (id. ¶ 53). The appellate court primarily relied on the fact that Watkins-Romaine had already been ordered released pursuant to electronic monitoring and a large monetary bail. Id. ¶ 51 (explaining that “nothing in the amended Code indicates that the State should get a do-over”). The court remanded the case to the circuit court to “determine if there are conditions available that will reasonably ensure the appearance of defendant, the safety of any other person, and the likelihood of compliance by defendant with all the conditions of pretrial release.” Id. ¶ 53 (citing 725 ILCS 5/110-5(e) (West 2022)).
¶ 21 This court allowed the State’s petition for leave to appeal pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 315(a) (eff. Dec. 7, 2023).
¶ 22 II. ANALYSIS
¶ 23 The Code sets forth the procedures for the circuit court to follow when an individual, such as Watkins-Romaine, who was ordered released subject to a significant bond that was never satisfied, seeks to have the conditions of bond reopened following the abolition of monetary bail. The central issue here is whether the State may file a petition to detain a defendant pretrial, in response to a defendant’s petition to remove the condition of monetary bail, where the defendant had been ordered released but could not satisfy the previously set monetary bail. An additional issue that merits our consideration is whether, assuming the State may respond to a defendant’s petition for release, the circuit court is permitted to deny a defendant’s petition for release.
¶ 24 A. Standard of Review
¶ 25 The parties’ arguments require us to interpret several provisions of the Code. “This court has frequently restated the basic principles of statutory interpretation.”
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People v. Lane, 2023 IL 128269, ¶ 11. “The most fundamental rule in statutory construction is to give effect to the legislative intent.” Murray v. Chicago Youth Center, 224 Ill. 2d 213, 235 (2007). “The language of the statute is the best indication of the legislature’s intent.” Id. “If the language of a statute is clear, this court must give effect to its plain and ordinary meaning without resort to other aids of statutory construction.” Id. We review issues of statutory interpretation de novo. Doe v. Burke Wise Morrissey & Kaveny, LLC, 2023 IL 129097, ¶ 20.
¶ 26 B. Watkins-Romaine Forfeited the Current Claim
¶ 27 The threshold issue we must decide is whether Watkins-Romaine preserved the issue for review. To preserve the issue for review, Watkins-Romaine needed to object to the State’s petition to deny pretrial release and include the issue in his notice of appeal. See People v. Bush, 2023 IL 128747, ¶ 70 (explaining that a defendant must make a contemporaneous objection to preserve an issue for review); Ill. S. Ct. R. 604(h)(2) (eff. Dec. 7, 2023) (“The Notice of Appeal shall describe the relief requested and the grounds for the relief requested.”). 3 Watkins-Romaine did not object to the State’s petition to deny pretrial release. Watkins-Romaine also did not include this contention of error in his notice of appeal.
¶ 28 In light of this forfeiture, Watkins-Romaine asks this court to either analyze the issue under a plain error rubric or to excuse the forfeiture due to the newness of the amended Code and the caselaw interpreting it. We need not decide which suggested avenue to take because the result would be the same under either approach. We may review unpreserved issues for plain error. See People v. Sebby, 2017 IL 119445, ¶ 48; Ill. S. Ct. R. 615(a) (“Plain errors or defects affecting substantial rights may be noticed although they were not brought to the attention of the trial court.”). There
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are two approaches to plain error relief, with one focusing on the impact of the error on the proceedings and the other focusing on the seriousness of the error itself. See People v. Piatkowski, 225 Ill. 2d 551, 565 (2007). Under either approach, a defendant must establish first that a “clear or obvious” error occurred. Bush, 2023 IL 128747, ¶ 71. Therefore, we first determine whether Watkins-Romaine has established that the trial court erred in considering the State’s petition to deny pretrial release. And, if the court did not err in considering the State’s responsive petition, whether the court erred in denying Watkins-Romaine’s petition for release when Watkins-Romaine had previously been granted pretrial release pursuant to a $350,000 bail.
¶ 29 C. The Code as Amended by Public Acts 101-652 and 102-1104, Commonly Known as the Pretrial Fairness Act
¶ 30 Public Act 101-652 abolished monetary bail in Illinois. 725 ILCS 5/110-1.5 (West 2022) (“the requirement of posting monetary bail is abolished”). Now, every defendant is eligible for release before conviction, and each defendant is presumed to be entitled to release on personal recognizance. Id. § 110-2(a). The State has the burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that any condition of release is necessary. Id. § 110-2(b). To warrant the denial of pretrial release of an individual charged with attempted first degree murder, such as Watkins-Romaine, the State has to prove by clear and convincing evidence that (1) “the proof is evident or the presumption great that the defendant has committed” the charged offense (id. § 110-6.1(e)(1)), (2) “the defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community” (id. § 110-6.1(e)(2)), and (3) “no condition or combination of conditions *** can mitigate (i) the real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community” (id. § 110- 6.1(e)(3)). The Code also sets out timing requirements for the State to petition to detain a defendant pretrial. Id. § 110-6.1(c) (“A petition may be filed without prior notice to the defendant at the first appearance before a judge, or within the 21 calendar days *** after arrest and release of the defendant upon reasonable notice to defendant ***.”).
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¶ 31 The Code limits the State’s ability to petition to detain a defendant who has previously been ordered released under the Code. Section 110-6(a) provides:
“When a defendant has previously been granted pretrial release under this Section for a felony or Class A misdemeanor, that pretrial release may be revoked only if the defendant is charged with a felony or Class A misdemeanor that is alleged to have occurred during the defendant’s pretrial release after a hearing on the court’s own motion or upon the filing of a verified petition by the State.” Id. § 110-6(a).
The State can also move for sanctions against a defendant who violates a term of his or her pretrial release. See id. § 110-6(e), (f) (defining sanctionable conduct and possible sanctions). Finally, section 110-6 provides that a “court may, at any time, after motion by either party or on its own motion, remove previously set conditions of pretrial release,” but a “court may only add or increase conditions of pretrial release at a hearing under this Section.” Id. § 110-6(g).
¶ 32 The Code also anticipates the situation presented in this case, namely, an individual who was granted pretrial release prior to the amended Code’s effective date who remained in detention due to the inability to satisfy a condition of release. Section 110-7.5(b) of the Code provides: “On or after January 1, 2023, any person who remains in pretrial detention after having been ordered released with pretrial conditions, including the condition of depositing security, shall be entitled to a hearing under subsection (e) of Section 110-5.” Id. § 110-7.5(b).
¶ 33 Section 110-5(e) provides:
“If a person remains in pretrial detention 48 hours after having been ordered released with pretrial conditions, the court shall hold a hearing to determine the reason for continued detention. If the reason for continued detention is due to the unavailability or the defendant’s ineligibility for one or more pretrial conditions previously ordered by the court or directed by a pretrial services agency, the court shall reopen the conditions of release hearing to determine what available pretrial conditions exist that will reasonably ensure the appearance of a defendant as required, the safety of any other person, and the likelihood of compliance by the defendant with all the conditions of pretrial release. The inability of the defendant to pay for a condition of release or any
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other ineligibility for a condition of pretrial release shall not be used as a justification for the pretrial detention of that defendant.” Id. § 110-5(e).
The parties and our appellate court agree on the controlling statutory provisions up to this point. The divide between the parties’ positions and the numerous approaches taken in the appellate court emerges from the substantive makeup of a hearing under subsection (e).
¶ 34 The vast majority of appellate court decisions have held that the State is allowed to petition to detain a defendant in Watkins-Romaine’s position if the defendant seeks to reopen the conditions of release under the amended Code. See, e.g., People v. Davidson, 2023 IL App (2d) 230344, ¶ 18 (“That motion, in turn, triggered consideration of defendant’s pretrial release conditions under the Code as amended by the Act, under which, on the State’s petition, the court could deny defendant’s release altogether.” (Emphasis omitted.)); People v. McDonald, 2024 IL App (1st) 232414, ¶ 28 (“We believe that defendant’s filing of the pretrial release petition opened the door to proceedings dictated by the amended statute, including the State’s ability to file a pretrial detention petition in response.”); People v. Milner, 2024 IL App (1st) 241284, ¶ 40 (“Because section 110-5(a) of the Code specifically contemplates that one possible result of such a hearing is a finding that no pretrial conditions will reasonably ensure the defendant’s appearance in court, the safety of individuals or the community, or the defendant’s compliance with all conditions of release, we hold that the State’s petition for Mr. Milner’s pretrial detention was not barred as untimely by section 110-6.1(c).”).
¶ 35 On the other hand, some panels in the appellate court have held, as the appellate court did here, that the State is prohibited from petitioning to detain a defendant who was ordered released subject to a monetary bond prior to the enactment of the Pretrial Fairness Act. See, e.g., 2024 IL App (1st) 232479, ¶ 51 (“But nothing in the amended Code indicates that the State should get a do-over now that defendant’s monetary bond requirement no longer functions, as the trial court observed, as a de facto ‘no bail’ order.”); People v. Brown, 2023 IL App (1st) 231890, ¶ 20 (“Allowing the State to file an untimely petition to detain a person who is already in jail is, in our opinion, not a rational reading of section 110-7.5.”).
- 10 - ¶ 36 D. Hearing Under Subsection (e) of Section 110-5 of the Code ¶ 37 As discussed above, after the amended Code went into effect on September 18, 2023, individuals in Watkins-Romaine’s situation were “entitled to a hearing under subsection (e) of Section 110-5.” 725 ILCS 5/110-7.5(b) (West 2022). Subsection (e) requires the circuit court, after finding that a defendant remains detained due to the inability to satisfy a condition of pretrial release, to “reopen the conditions of release hearing to determine what available pretrial conditions exist that will reasonably ensure the appearance of a defendant as required, the safety of any other person, and the likelihood of compliance by the defendant with all the conditions of pretrial release.” Id. § 110-5(e). ¶ 38 Watkins-Romaine received the hearing he was entitled to on his petition for release from detention. The appellate court focused on the State’s petition to detain as opposed to Watkins-Romaine’s petition for release. The appellate court stated: “At issue in this appeal is the scope of the State’s power to petition for the pretrial detention of defendants who were previously ordered released prior to the Code’s amendment but remained in custody through no fault of their own.” 2024 IL App (1st) 232479, ¶ 2. However, the circuit court’s order adjudicated Watkins- Romaine’s petition for release. In its oral ruling, the circuit court stated: “the motion to have the defendant released is going to be denied.” And while the court’s written judgment is on a form detention order, “an oral statement controls when the report of proceedings and common law record conflict.” Cook County Republican Party v. Illinois State Board of Elections, 232 Ill. 2d 231, 237 (2009). Therefore, the circuit court’s order was a resolution of Watkins-Romaine’s petition for release, which was appropriate under sections 110-7.5(b) and 110-5(e) of the amended Code. ¶ 39 The circuit court’s decision also resolved the State’s petition to detain. The parties dispute whether the State was allowed to participate and, if allowed to participate, the extent of the State’s participation. Watkins-Romaine contends that the State was limited to contesting what available conditions would allow for release while meeting the Code’s requirements. The State contends that it was - 11 - allowed to “file a responsive petition seeking the continued pretrial detention” of Watkins-Romaine. We hold that the State was allowed to respond to Watkins- Romaine’s petition for release. We further hold that the State could object to Watkins-Romaine’s requested relief of release from detention pending trial. ¶ 40 To start, section 110-5(e) requires the court to “reopen the conditions of release hearing.” 725 ILCS 5/110-5(e) (West 2022). To “reopen” means “to review (an otherwise final and nonappealable judgment) for the purpose of possibly granting or modifying relief.” Black’s Law Dictionary 1490 (10th ed. 2014). The hearing being “reopened” is the conditions hearing under section 110-5(a), which directs the trial court to a set of factors to consider in “determining which conditions of pretrial release, if any, will reasonably ensure the appearance of a defendant as required or the safety of any other person or the community and the likelihood of compliance by the defendant with all the conditions of pretrial release.” (Emphasis added.) 725 ILCS 5/110-5(a) (West 2022); see Milner, 2024 IL App (1st) 241284, ¶ 37 (“The words ‘if any’ make clear that one possible result of such a hearing is that the court may conclude there are no appropriate conditions of release.” (Emphasis in original.)). 4 ¶ 41 The initial circuit court order found that a “substantial bail,” in the amount of $350,000, was necessary to “assure the safety of the public in light of these allegations.” The circuit court further found that the circumstantial evidence was “compelling enough for a significant bond in this case.” With the abolition of monetary bail, the circuit court was placed in a conundrum with Watkins- Romaine’s petition for release: the condition necessary to ensure the safety of the community was no longer available, and no other condition existed that could ensure the safety of the community. Even if Watkins-Romaine’s petition under section 110-5(e) was limited to this element of the current Code, as he argues, he could be denied pretrial release if the circuit court found that no conditions of