New Court Policy to Provide Public Defenders in Police Stations

Last week, the Cook County Court took an important step forward in ensuring Chicagoans arrested by CPD are able to exercise their constitutional right to an attorney. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans signed General Administrative Order No. 2017-01 that enables people in the custody of Chicago P...
March 20, 2017

Chicago Council of Lawyers Releases Statement on Police Accountability Report

In April 2016, the Police Accountability Task Force issued their 190-page report: Recommendations for Reform: Restoring Trust between the Chicago Police and the Communities They Serve. The Report addresses many subjects, ranging from how to improve police-community relations to how to respond to per...
September 1, 2016

Regulating Stingray Technology:  A Statement from the Chicago Council of Lawyers

he Civil Liberties Committee of the Chicago Council of Lawyers has called on the state of Illinois to regulate the government's use of Stingray technology. On January 20, 2016, Representative Ann Williams of Chicago introduced Illinois House Bill 4470 to regulate the use by government bodies of cell...
February 15, 2016

CCL Statement on Necessary Reforms to Promote Police Accountability

  The Chicago Council of Lawyers (CCL) is calling for a necessary reforms to promote police accountability in Chicago. In a statement released this week, the CCL specifically criticized the terms of the city's collective bargaining agreement with the police union, which permit an officer to "c...
February 10, 2016

Chicago Council of Lawyers’ Statement on the Chicago Police Department

Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice has been a part of the Chicago social justice community for over 40 years. We are proud of the relationships we have built with many reform-minded members of our courts and County government. Like the rest of the community, we are disturbed by the systemic failures...
December 10, 2015