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Open Letter to the Illinois Supreme Court: Immediate Action Needed to Ensure Public Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dear Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court: A key role of the Illinois Supreme Court is to issue orders and promulgate rules that make the local courts fairer, more effective, and efficient. At this time [...]
Statement from Advocates to Chief Judge Evans: Need For Immediate Additional Action by Cook County Courts to Ensure Public Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dear Chief Judge Evans, The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented threat to public safety. The criminal courts, in particular, have a critically important responsibility in permitting people under their jurisdiction to follow CDC recommendations to [...]
Pretrial Fairness Act – Beyond Ending Money Bond
Sarah Staudt is the Senior Policy Analyst & Staff Attorney for the Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council of Lawyers Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (CJAC) and is a key team member working on the policy initiatives of the Coalition to End Money Bond.
Current System for Investigating Sexual Misconduct Complaints Against CPD Officers Welcomes Bias
Chicago City Council Should Authorize COPA to Investigate Complaints of Sexual Misconduct Against Chicago Police Officers A letter of recommendation from the Civil Liberties & Police Accountability Committee of the Chicago Council of Lawyers and Chicago Appleseed, written [...]
Ending Code of Silence Policies in the Chicago Police Department’s Collective Bargaining Agreements
The Coalition for Police Contracts Accountability (CPCA) offers recommendations to end the provisions in Chicago Police Department's Collective Bargaining Agreements that perpetuate the "Code of Silence" According to the Better Government Association (BGA), it was [...]
Judicial Recusal & Confidence in Our Courts
This fall, the issue of judicial recusal has returned to the forefront in Illinois, with the indictments against Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke’s husband, Chicago Alderman Ed Burke. In particular, WBEZ reported at least 10 instances [...]
Malcolm Rich: Central Panels promote Fairness, Effectiveness, and Efficiency in Administrative Adjudication
The Hidden Judiciary: How Central Panels Improve Fairness, Effectiveness, and Efficiency in Administrative Adjudication By Malcolm Rich, Executive Director of the Collaboration for Justice of Chicago Appleseed & Chicago Council of Lawyers As states expand [...]
License to Work Act Passes
License to Work Act: SB 1786, the License to Work Act, passed in the Illinois legislature veto session on Tuesday, October 29. Chicago Council of Lawyers and Chicago Appleseed are proud to have worked as members [...]
Policy Statement of the Civil Liberties Committee: Limits on NSA Surveillance of Americans should be Retained or Strengthened
After Edward Snowden leaked classified memos that disclosed that the National Security Agency (NSA) had been been gathering bulk telephone metadata on Americans (such as phone numbers called and the dates and times), Congress enacted [...]
After years of advocacy, the recording systems in Chicago’s eviction courtrooms are officially operational as of October 25, 2019
Chicago Reader columnist Maya Dukmasova published an article on Wednesday, October 30, exposing the fact that, “for the first time in 16 years, Chicago eviction court is on tape.” Chicago Appleseed & Chicago Council of Lawyers [...]