SPRINGFIELD – After being one of the strongest advocates in favor of the landmark criminal justice pillar of the Black Caucus agenda that passed in January, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is continuing his fight to win real safety and justice for all Illinois residents with a proposal to stop the use of deceptive interrogation practices on children.

“Kids are taught to trust adults in positions of power, and it is unconscionable to allow law enforcement to exploit that trust in order to coerce information,” Peters said. “These kids are scared and may not fully understand their rights or of how the legal process works, so it’s a lot more likely that they’ll give false information if deception is added to the mix.”

The legislation would make statements provided by minors under the age of 18 inadmissible as evidence against the minor in court if they were made during an interrogation where the law enforcement officer intentionally engaged in deception. It defines deception as knowingly providing false information about evidence or leniency.

“What message does it send when we allow law enforcement to lie to our kids in order to get them to say what they want?” Peters said. “If we want real safety and justice in our communities, we need to rebuild the trust between the people and the officers charged with protecting them.”

The Illinois Senate approved Senate Bill 2122 with bipartisan support Thursday, and it will now be sent to the House of Representatives.