Latest News
We’ve Joined 400+ Organizations in Urging the Illinois Supreme Court to Affirm the Constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act
Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers have joined the 37 members of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice and 389 other national, state, and local organizations in submitting an amicus brief to the Illinois Supreme Court in the case of Rowe vs. Raoul, which considers the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act. The brief, filed by the ACLU of Illinois and the law firm of Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnick & Dym Ltd., argues forcefully that the Illinois Supreme Court should uphold the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act and allow the end of money bond to proceed in Illinois. We are proud to support the brief.
NEW REPORT: Fear and Silence – How Culture, Policy, and the ”Win At All Costs” Mentality Allows Police Testilying to Thrive
In early 2022, we began researching the issue of false reporting and police perjury — sometimes known as ”testilying” — in Circuit Court of Cook County. Our final report, Fear and Silence: How Culture, Policy, and the ”Win At All Costs” Mentality Allows Police Testilying to Thrive, has now been published. The discussion of topics in this report covers issues in Cook County and throughout the state of Illinois, but primarily focuses on policing in Chicago.
Collaboration for Justice and the Court Transparency Coalition
Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers—the Collaboration for Justice—are pleased to be part of the Court Transparency Coalition, led by the Better Government Association.
The Collaboration for Justice Joins the Free to Drive Coalition as Amici in Mendoza et al. v Stickler
The Civil Rights Corps and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice have filed a brief on behalf of Free to Drive Coalition members in support of the plaintiffs in Mendoza et al. v Stickler. Chicago Appleseed and [...]
JOIN US! October 25: Collaboration for Justice Annual Luncheon
On Tuesday, October 25, join the Collaboration for Justice of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts & Chicago Council of Lawyers for our annual meeting. This year, we are especially excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Collaboration for Justice with Chicago Appleseed.
Statement: After Hours Access to the Domestic Violence Court
The Domestic Violence Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County launched after-hours access, via remote proceedings, for Civil Emergency Orders of Protection this week. Continued meaningful engagement with community concerns, alongside appropriate data collection and self-assessment, will be necessary to build on the Division's early innovation to ensure it fulfills goals of safety and equity.
New Research Documents Need For Deep Reform of Cook County Criminal Court Culture
In their new study documenting a litany of failings in the operation of the Cook County Felony Courts at 26th Street and California Avenue in Chicago, "How Culture Impacts Courtrooms: An Empirical Study of Alienation [...]
“Slipping Through the Cracks” – Evaluation of the Cook County Domestic Violence Division in Chicago
Since early 2020, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers have been evaluating the Domestic Violence Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, with a specific focus on the [...]
Amicus in People v. Moore: There is no justice when access is random or when the rules are unpredictable
In May, the Chicago Council of Lawyers joined an amicus brief submitted by the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in the Illinois Supreme Court case, People v. Moore. Our Collaboration for Justice is proud to add our support to the brief which argues for full access to justice for youth in incarceration.
All People Deserve Access to Their Rights – Especially Those as Foundational as the Presumption of Innocence
Cook County leads the nation in exonerations based on false confessions. Between 1972 and 1991, Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge tortured at least 119 people – most of whom were young Black men – in order to force false [...]
