Elect Michael Murphy: Putting Cook County First

In Cook County, how we handle first-time, non-violent gun offenses is becoming a test of whether government values liberty and proportional justice, or defaults to punishment for its own sake. From a libertarian perspective, many firearm regulations are constitutionally suspect, overly complex, and enforced in ways that criminalize peaceful people who pose no threat to others. When those laws ensnare first-time offenders with no violent history, the result is not public safety; it’s overreach. Laws That Trap the Peaceful Don’t Make Us Safer Illinois’ firearm framework is a maze: FOID cards, licensing rules, transport requirements, and technical violations that can turn an otherwise law-abiding person into a criminal overnight. These are process crimes, not acts of violence. When the state treats paperwork failures or non-violent possession the same way it treats armed robbery or shooting offenses, it erodes respect for the law and wastes scarce resources that should be focused on real threats. That’s why diversion and alternative handling for first-time, non-violent gun cases, often routed through specialty calendars in the Cook County Circuit Court, is a step toward sanity. Liberty Requires Proportional Justice Libertarianism isn’t about chaos; it’s about limits. Government power should be constrained, targeted, and proportionate to actual harm. A first-time gun possession case with no violence, no threat, and no criminal history does not justify life-altering penalties. Diversion recognizes a simple truth: punishment should fit the conduct. It holds people accountable without branding them criminals for life, destroying job prospects, or pushing them deeper into the system. Focus on Violent Offenders — Not Technical Violations Every hour prosecutors, judges, and public defenders spend on low-risk cases is an hour not spent on shooters, repeat offenders, and organized criminal activity. That’s not “tough on crime”; it’s misdirected. A libertarian approach prioritizes: Aggressive prosecution of violent gun crimes