The use of electronic monitoring (EM) continues to be a hot topic in Cook County and Illinois as a whole. Who should be allowed on it? Who should not? Should the state revisit the recently-enacted law that allows people on EM to leave their homes two days a week? Was it a good idea to decriminalize EM absences of less than 48 hours?
The politicians will decide how to proceed. Meanwhile, here’s another recent EM violation case that we found interesting.
The news footage of a horrific 2015 traffic crash in south suburban Harvey could not be more dramatic. A Nissan Maxima, allegedly traveling 65 MPH in a 30 MPH zone, drove into the side of a tractor-trailer, sheering the roof off the car.
It would be a miracle if any of the three men inside survived. Only one did: the alleged driver, Tyres Baynes. Passenger Brian McChristian was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, William McCurry, died a few days later.
A city spokesperson speculated that Baynes might have been texting while driving. In fact, according to prosecutors, he was driving while intoxicated.
They charged him with multiple counts of reckless homicide and aggravated DUI causing death.
Baynes, now 40, was allowed to await trial on electronic monitoring. In February 2021, prosecutors charged him with escape for going to various places while he was supposedly out of the house for work.
With charges from the traffic crash and the alleged escape still pending, a judge allowed him to go home on EM again in September.
He was supposed to stay in the house 24/7, according to prosecutors. Instead, they say he repeatedly left his home at least eight times between February 23 and March 15. GPS data from his ankle monitor indicates that some of those trips were to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak said.
On March 16, police pulled him over in suburban Lansing. He was driving on a suspended license, according to Hanichak. And his ankle monitor was wrapped in aluminum foil, “which is a method used to try and tamper with the monitoring of electronic monitoring,” Hanichak explained.
Baynes allegedly told the police that he had just left a gas station and wasn’t supposed to be out of the house. They took him into custody.
Prosecutors approved another felony escape charge against him last week. He has previous felony convictions for narcotics, possessing a stolen motor vehicle title, and, in 1999, aggravated battery by discharging a firearm, Hanichak said.
His defense attorney said Baynes had fallen ill and had to go to Walgreens to get medicine.
Judge Mary Marubio ordered him held without bail in his pending case. Bail on the new escape charge was set at $75,000.