Cook County State's Attorney's Office:
Press Releases

Richard A. Devine
Cook County State's Attorney
500 Richard J. Daley Center
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 603-3423

State's Attorney Richard Devine warns merchants that more bad checks are written during the holiday season than at any other time of year. "In spite of taking all the right precautions, sometimes bad
checks slip through the cracks and result in higher consumer costs and increased taxes to offset the
costs of law enforcement and prosecution," Devine said.

In an effort to assist local merchants in their efforts to reduce the number of bad checks,
the State's Attorney's Bad Check Restitution Program helps local merchants who are victimized
to obtain full restitution, and holds check writers accountable for their actions without creating
an added burden on the criminal justice system.

Since January 2005, nearly 34,000 checks have been processed through the program, resulting in
$655,119 in restitution paid to merchants. To avoid prosecution, over 1,800 first time offenders
have voluntarily participated in a diversion program in which they pay full restitution and costs;
pay for and attend an educational class; and pay an administrative fee. More serious offenders,
repeat offenders, or those with a criminal history not suitable for diversion may be prosecuted.

How the Program Works:
1. The victim makes personal contact with the check writer.
2. If unsuccessful in collecting money, the victim contacts the program by calling (800) 365-2960
or by emailing to cookil@checkprogram.com. Additional information is available on the
Bad Check Restitution Program website: www.checkprogram.com/cookcountyil.
3. The victim fills out a crime report, attaches originals of checks and notification documents
and mails it to the Cook County Bad Check Restitution Program, P.O. Box A3984,
Chicago, IL 60608-3984.

A Check is Eligible for this Program If:
1. The amount of the check is no more than $5,000 (or multiple checks do not exceed this limit).
There are no minimum dollar restrictions.
2. The check was received in Cook County, deposited in a bank in exchange for goods or services,
and was presumed "good" at the time of acceptance.
3. A courtesy notice was sent to check writer allowing 10 days to make the check good.
4. The check is submitted to the program within 90 days from the date of the check.
5. A photo I.D. (driver's license, state identification card) was recorded at the time of transaction.

In operating the program, the State's Attorney's Office partners with the American Corrective
Counseling Services (ACCS). ACCS operates similar programs in about 60 counties in a dozen
states. In Illinois, ACCS operates bad check programs in 19 counties.

For further information on the Bad Check Restitution Program, merchants can call the
State's Attorney's Office at (312) 603-8700 or the Victim Hotline at (800) 365-2960, or visit us online at www.statesattorney.org.

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