Julian Cohen -Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts |

About Julian Cohen

Julian D. Cohen (he/him) is an intern with Chicago Appleseed and a senior at Brown University, where he studies history and international and public affairs. Guided by a commitment to social justice, he focuses on how structural inequalities and institutional practices shape public policy and affect everyday lives. He is especially interested in confronting the harms of a legal system that prioritizes punishment over fairness and dignity. View all posts by Julian Cohen →

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Rollback of Do-Not-Call and Disclosure Lists is Alarming and Dangerous

Maintaining lists of discredited cops is a basic and vital step in preventing wrongful convictions and fulfilling United States Supreme Court obligations, which require prosecutors to turn over exculpatory evidence (any evidence that might point toward the innocence of a defendant) or other informat...

NEW—The Impact of the Pretrial Fairness Act on Electronic Monitoring in Cook County: Report

Today, Chicago Appleseed published a new report, The Impact of the Pretrial Fairness Act on Electronic Monitoring in Cook County, examining the impacts of the legislative reforms on Cook County’s pretrial electronic monitoring (EM) system. These reforms, initiated as part of the Pretrial Fairnes...

New Year, New State’s Attorney, Higher Jail Population in Cook County

Written by Julian D. Cohen, Brown University, and Kamiryn Braxton Grimes, University of Chicago. Under Cook County’s new State’s Attorney, Eileen O’Neill Burke, who assumed office in December of 2024, the county has experienced a substantial rise in its jail population. In just the first six...

Victory: Pretrial Success Grant Program Preserved, Funding Kept for Critical Pretrial Services

On May 31, the Illinois General Assembly passed its annual budget, including a measure to ensure continued funding of the Pretrial Success grant program. Established in 2024 as part of the Pretrial Success Act, the program funds organizations that provide voluntary services aimed at ensuring individ...