Should Have Taken the Plea

His accomplice got four years, out in two and on the street already. Instead, he gets twelve years:

• A judge on Thursday sentenced an 18-year-old man to 12 years in prison for shooting the son of a Chicago police officer during a botched robbery outside a Morgan Park bar in 2023. Prosecutors said Kevin Ross, then 17, opened fire at point-blank range after the off-duty officer’s 22-year-old son tackled him during the hold-up.

  Ross pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and must serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, according to the terms imposed by Judge Diana Kenworthy.

  His accomplice, 21-year-old Christopher Brooks, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to discharging a firearm during an attempted armed robbery. Judge Maria Kuriakos-Ciesil sentenced him to four years. Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Brooks was paroled in April 2025 after half of that time.

He's required to do 85% of the sentence, but if he's been in custody, that's all credited. Still going to be inside for around eight or nine years though. Sometimes, the system works.