Ex-Riverside Chief Wants To Fix Public Defense

RIVERSIDE, IL – Riverside's former police chief said this week he was joining a committee to reform what he considers a dysfunctional public defense system.

In a news release, former Chief Tom Weitzel, who retired in 2021, said some may find it strange that a career law enforcement officer would advocate for better public defense assistance.

"If we want a just, compassionate, and overall fair criminal justice system, both sides must have resources, IT equipment, and pay on par with each other," Weitzel said. "Currently, public defenders nationwide are severely underpaid, their offices do not have adequate technology, and their caseloads are overwhelming; this has to change."

Weitzel recently spoke in a video detailing his thoughts on accomplishing this.

"I always wanted to present fair cases in front of judges and juries, and I was able to obtain convictions," he said. "But I also wanted those cases not to be overturned because the public defender’s offices did not have adequate services to defend their clients or were forced into early plea agreements because they had tremendous caseloads they could not handle."

The panel that he is joining is called the Public Defense Reform Advocacy Committee, with members from across the country.