Recently in a Cook County courtroom, justice bent to power and every citizen should be alarmed. An individual was convicted of felony aggravated battery against former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. The charge is serious, no doubt. But what is more serious is what this case reveals about how justice is applied when the victim holds political power.

In almost every comparable case, aggravated battery would have been charged as a misdemeanor. That is not speculation – it is standard practice across Illinois and in jurisdictions nationwide.

Police officers and prosecutors know this. Defense attorneys know this. Judges know this. But when the victim is the county’s top prosecutor, suddenly the rules change.

This is not how justice is supposed to work.

William Swetz of Flossmoor was found guilty in November of allegedly throwing a drink in Foxx’s face before he tried to hit her with his vehicle in June 2024. He is expected to be sentenced in January.

Let me be clear: I have never supported Foxx. That is well-established public information. But this column is not about politics or personalities. It is about the integrity of our courts and the principle that justice must be applied equally, regardless of the victim.

When justice bends for the powerful and breaks for the rest, the consequences ripple far beyond a single courtroom. Public trust erodes. Citizens begin to believe the system is rigged. Cooperation with law enforcement declines. And the legitimacy of our institutions is called into question.

I have seen this firsthand. As a police chief, I relied on community trust to solve crimes, protect victims and keep neighborhoods safe. When people believe the system favors insiders, they stop cooperating. That makes everyone less safe.

This is not about defending the offender. It is about protecting the principle that justice must be impartial – not just to race, gender or income, but to political status and personal connections. When prosecutors elevate their own cases above the norm, it sends a chilling message: the law is not applied equally, but strategically.

That is not justice. That is favoritism.

Cook County is not alone. Across the country, we have seen troubling examples of excessive prosecution when the victim is politically connected and leniency when the defendant is a celebrity, donor or insider. Both are corrosive. Both undermine the rule of law.

Consider how high-profile defendants sometimes receive diversion programs or reduced charges unavailable to ordinary citizens, or how victims with political influence see charges elevated beyond what is typical. These double standards – whether they favor or punish – send the same destructive message: justice is negotiable.

Police officers are trained to apply the law fairly. They do not get to select who receives harsher treatment. They do not get to bend the rules when the victim is powerful. Yet their work is undermined when prosecutors appear to do exactly that.

We ask our officers to be fair, impartial and professional. Shouldn’t we demand the same from our prosecutors?

This case should prompt serious reflection – not just in Cook County, but nationwide. Are we comfortable with a justice system that flexes based on who you are? Or do we still believe in the radical idea that the law should apply equally to all?

The answer matters. Because once citizens believe the system is stacked, they disengage. They stop reporting crimes. They stop serving as witnesses. They stop trusting verdicts. And once trust is gone, restoring it is almost impossible.

If we want to restore trust, we must restore balance. That means holding everyone – even those in power – to the same standards. It means resisting the temptation to politicize prosecution. And it means remembering that justice is not a weapon. It is a promise.

And that promise must be kept.

• Tom Weitzel is the former chief of the Riverside Police Department and spent 37 years in law enforcement. He can be reached at tqweitzel@outlook.com. Follow him on X at @chiefweitzel or TikTok at tiktok.com/@chiefweitzel.