Voting for judges: Everyone can, few do

Four years ago, just more than 1.2 million people in Cook County showed up to vote in the primary election. But just over a million of those people posted a vote for state's attorney - 85.38 percent of the total number of voters who hit the polls, according to the Cook County Clerk's office....
February 9, 2012
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Blog: Smart Criminal Justice Policies Gain Momentum in Chicago, Cook County

County and City officials have taken bold yet prudent steps toward sensible, cost-effective public safety policies. The County has expanded use of electronic monitoring and the City is now considering issuing a fine in lieu of arrest for marijuana possession-a move many suburbs have already made. Bo...
November 3, 2011
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Annual Fundraising Luncheon: Thank You

We would like to thank everyone who attended our annual fundraising luncheon. In addition, we want to thank: Senator Kwame Raoul - Keynote speaker and recipient of the Commitment to Justice Award for his successful effort to end the death penalty in Illinois; Cynthia Canary - Recipient of the Comm...
November 1, 2011
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Anonymity and Integrity in Researching Judicial Performance

Recently, Chicago Appleseed was asked about unsolicited anonymous comments about judicial retention candidates and whether they play a role in the data collection for the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County's (the JPC) evaluations. The integrity of our data is paramount and we strive to u...
November 1, 2011
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Community-Involved Efforts Lead to Record CPS Attendance Level

Chicago Public Schools enjoyed a 94.7% attendance rate on the district's first day of school. The turnout this Tuesday marks a four-year high, and a jump from 92.9% last year. CPS attributes the turnout largely to coordinated efforts among the schools, community organizations, and families. One of t...
September 12, 2011
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What We Read, August 22-26

Judicial Elections and Judiciary Reform: Last month, the Oklahoma Judicial Ethics Advisory Panel issued an opinion with guidelines on judges and the use of social media. Immigration Court Reform: On August 17, in Chicago, the Department of Homeland Security held a public hearing on its controversial...
August 26, 2011
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