How Court-Watching Supports Our Work
To support its mission of research-based advocacy, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice operates several court-watching programs. Court-watching serves Appleseed’s dual purposes of research and advocacy particularly well and is a central component of all our research into how the courts are functioning. Because Chicago Appleseed advocates for change through research and analysis, the influence of our work is dependent upon the strength of our research and court-watching provides critical insight to the daily workings of our courts and their efficacy. Court-watching, which employs a primarily volunteer workforce, also connects members of the community to the courts in a manner most people never experience. This helps expand the reach of our advocacy by involving the community directly in our work.
Over the years we have placed court-watchers in the Bond Court, in the Criminal Court, in the Federal Immigration courtrooms, in the child support courtrooms and recently in specific judge’s courtrooms across Cook County. Among others, we have worked with universities—such as Chicago-Kent Law School’s Immigration Clinic and the Steans Center at DePaul University—and law firms—such as Latham & Watkins LLC, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and DLA Piper—and community groups such as the League of Women Voters of Illinois. Additionally, dozens of volunteers unaffiliated with any particular organization contribute hours to our court-watching programs.
At present, three on-going projects have an extensive court-watching component: the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County; the Immigration Court Reform Project; and the Criminal Justice System Reform in Cook County. For the Judicial Performance Commission, our court-watchers have begun to observe the courtrooms of judges standing for retention in 2012 and of judges identified by the 2010 Judicial Performance Commission as having courtroom issues. JPC court-watchers report on whether the courtrooms of retention candidates appear to run smoothly. They note the judge’s demeanor and general tenor of proceedings in the courtroom. Their observations are included in the reports which the JPC reviews as it assesses the performance of retention candidates. Court-watchers in the Immigration Courts also pay attention to the demeanor of judges in the courtroom, but they also track statistics of the cases and report on the professional behavior of attorneys involved in the cases. Their observations form some of the data used to generate recommendations for improvement in the Immigration Court. Court-watchers in the criminal courtrooms make the same observations, but also report on the physical conditions of the courtroom and the professional behavior of staff and sheriffs in the courtroom.
In the past we have court-watched in support of reforms in the Child Support Enforcement Division and in the Bond Court. As we move forward with our advocacy in those projects, we hope to include court-watching in the data collection necessary for those projects.
Court-watchers provide us with a unique and valuable perspective on the functioning of our courts. They are able to view the proceedings with fresh eyes, unlike many attorneys who—after years of practicing in front of the same judges—have come to take some routines for granted or no longer notice procedures that detract from fairness or efficiency in the courtroom. Court-watchers also help us view our courts from the perspective of the community which the courts serve and remind us that the courts serve the public and should be accountable to them.
The court-watching program at Chicago Appleseed serves our mission not only by strengthening our research, but also by allowing us to inform and involve more of the community in our advocacy. Court-watching programs bring nonlawyers into the courtrooms, which helps to dispel the notion that the process of justice is only relevant to litigants. An extensive court-watching programs expands our research capabilities and broadens the reach of our advocacy. To become involved in our court-watching program, please contact me, Elizabeth Monkus, at Chicago Appleseed.