Latest News
03.31.11
Chicago Council of Lawyers and Chicago Appleseed Applaud Abolition of Death Penalty
Category: Blog
With a historic pen stroke this month, Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois signed into law Illinois Senate Bill 3539, making Illinois the 16th state to abolish the death penalty. The law marks the successful completion of a 35-year effort to end the death penalty’s use in Illinois. The death penalty was reinstated in Illinois in 1977 following the landmark 1976 US Supreme Court ruling in Gregg v. Georgia the constitutionality of capital punishment. Since 1977, 12 individuals were executed, and 13 death row inmates were exonerated—a chilling reminder of the criminal justice system’s flaws.
03.30.11
Draw The Line Illinois Community Forum: Redistricting 101
Category: Press Releases
Voters should pick their politicians, not the other way around. Where will your community be after the politicians draw their map? Learn how redistricting can affect you, your family and your community!
03.30.11
Dibuje la línea de Illinois Foro de la comunidad: DISTRITOS 101
Category: Press Releases
Los votantes deben elegir a sus políticos, no al revés. ¿Dónde quedara su comunidad después de que los políticos obtengan su mapa? Aprenda cómo puede afectarle el Redistribución de Distritos, su familia y su comunidad!
03.26.11
Payday Lenders Lose Initial Bid to Block Illinois Law
Category: Blog
Last Friday, Payday Lender Illinois Lending Corp sued in Cook County Court for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Illinois’ new and modified payday loan laws, the Consumer Installment Loan Act and the Payday Loan Reform Act (CILA / PLRA). You can read more about this on our blog.
03.17.11
New York's Judicial Campaign Reform a Great Start
Category: Blog
The New York Administrative Board of Courts recently issued a new rule that would prohibit judges from hearing cases where any one of the lawyers or parties on either side has contributed significantly to that judge’'s election campaign. On our blog, you can read more about this positive step being made to separate politics and the judiciary.
03.03.11
Illinois Supreme Court Requires Judges to Self-Evaluate
Category: Blog
This week, the Illinois Supreme Court announced that it had amended Illinois Supreme Court Rule 58, "Judicial Performance Evaluation." Please visit our blog to read Chicago Appleseed's recommendation for how these evaluations can be used to better judicial performance and improve public confidence in our judiciary.
02.22.11
Judges Should Be Evaluated for Performance, Not Politics
Category: Blog
When a judge is weighing the merits of a case, the popularity of her decision should be the last thing on her mind. And when casting a ballot for a judge, performance, not political issues, should be a voter's first concern. Visit our blog to find out what Chicago Appleseed, in cooperation with Chicago Council of Lawyers, is doing to help ensure impartiality in our judicial system.
02.17.11
An Introduction to Illinois Redistricting
Category: Blog
The 2010 Census results are in, and the big news is that Illinois has grown a mere 3% in the last decade, while Chicago has shrunk by nearly 7%, or 200,000 people. The data indicates that black and Hispanic Chicagoans are migrating from the city to the suburbs, taking up residence in Chicago's so-called collar counties. As a result of these shifts, Illinois lost one US Congressional seat, and Chicago stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. You can read more on our blog to find out what Chicago Appleseed is doing to introduce transparency and fairness to this process.
02.15.11
RELEASE OF CENSUS DATA MARKS START OF ILLINOIS REDISTRICTING CYCLE
Category: Press Releases
Coalition calls for transparency, minority voter protections, in map-drawing process
02.09.11
Diversion Division: A Remedy for Racially Disproportionate Drug Enforcement
Category: Blog
In Illinois last week, a statutorily mandated, unbiased committee, the Disproportionate Justice Impact Study (DJIS) Commission, reported the latest evidence confirming a long-held suspicion -- that the war on drugs undermines African Americans and their communities, to devastating end. The report (PDF) recommends, among other proposals, that Illinois allocate a greater portion of the correctional budget to incarceration alternatives, such as probation, supervision, or community-based treatment, for non-violent drug offenders. Chicago Appleseed advocates for this recommendation because diversionary programs increase justice while reducing costs. You can read more on our blog.