Checking on the Cook County Criminal Court’s Case Backlog

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts has been tracking the status of Illinois Courts’ shutdown. With COVID-19 causing the courts to shut down and the Illinois Supreme Court to pause speedy trial rights, case processing slowed to a crawl. In April...
July 30, 2021

Dispelling Myths: The Pretrial Fairness Act and Domestic Violence

In January 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed a sweeping criminal justice reform package, presented by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which includes the Pretrial Fairness Act (HB 3653 SFA2). The Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) abolishes money bail; ensures faster release f...
February 16, 2021