Austin Segal -Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

About Austin Segal

Austin Segal (they/he) is Chicago Appleseed’s Research Manager and our Jill Dupont Memorial Fellow. They studied sociology, mathematical methods in the social sciences, and legal studies at Northwestern University and wrote an interdisciplinary thesis with original research on the implementation of queer-inclusive educational policies. They have been involved in organizations that promote constructive dialogue and community organizing, and are deeply invested in supporting those harmed by the criminal legal system. View all posts by Austin Segal →

Cook County State’s Attorney Expands Felony Review Bypass Program Citywide

Since January, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) has been piloting a policy that limits due process rights for people accused of unlicensed gun possession. On Friday, they announced that they will be expanding this policy from two police districts to the entire city, handing off...

VICTORY: The FAIR Act Passes, Office of State Public Defender Will Be Established

On May 31, 2025, the Funded Advocacy & Independent Representation (FAIR) Act was passed by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. The FAIR Act requires Illinois to establish an Office of the State Public Defender; Illinois will join 45 states in our nation in creating a public oversight...

Statement on State’s Attorney Burke’s New Policy Regarding Pretrial Electronic Monitoring

Written by Austin Segal, Research Manager & Jill Dupont Memorial Fellow, and Naomi Johnson, Co-Executive Director. We strongly oppose State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s new policy that requires prosecutors to object on the record in all cases where their petition to detain an accused...

Ignoring Community Voices: Firearm Possession Charges Excluded from Restorative Justice Community Courts

Written by Maya Simkin, Appleseed Network Fellow, Austin Segal, Research Manager & Jill Dupont Memorial Fellow, and Naomi Johnson, Co-Executive Director. It's recently been announced that the Cook County State’s Attorney will no longer divert gun possession cases to the Restorative Justic...

Judicial Discretion in Cook County’s Problem-Solving Courts

Cook County’s problem-solving courts (PSCs) are specialized diversion courts that work with accused people whose mental health conditions and/or substance usage may have contributed to their arrests. The PSCs include Drug Treatment Courts, Veterans Treatment Courts, and Mental Health Courts; in othe...

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