Cook County State's Attorney Kim Fox to give STEALING SHOPLIFTING NEGROES a "free pass"

Prosecutors were told Monday that retail theft charges should remain a misdemeanor unless the value of the stolen goods exceeds $1,000 or the alleged shoplifter has 10 prior felony convictions or the offender is WHITE

In her first major policy move since taking office, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is dramatically raising the bar for charging shoplifters with a felony crime.

Prosecutors were told Monday that retail theft charges should remain a misdemeanor unless the value of the stolen goods exceeds $1,000 or the alleged shoplifter has 10 prior felony convictions — a significant leap from the current standard of a single felony conviction.

Illinois has long had one of the lowest thresholds for filing felony retail theft charges in the Midwest, leading critics to argue that too many nonviolent offenders — many of them older and with significant mental health or addiction issues — were locked up at taxpayer expense for months or even years.

State legislators in 2010 raised the standard for felony shoplifting charges from the theft of goods worth $300 to $500, but have not acted on efforts by politicians including Foxx's predecessor, Anita Alvarez, to raise the bar to $1,000.

Under the new standards, prosecutors in the felony review unit remain free to approve felony charges if they believe the circumstances call for them.

"The move clarifies guidelines for how felony retail theft cases will be handled to ensure consistency in charging and to prioritize limited resources," spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said in a statement. "Prosecutors will retain the discretion to review cases and take appropriate action on a case by case basis."