Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Reallocating Priorities: Call for City of Chicago to Invest in Community-Based DV Prevention and Intervention

Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council of Lawyers are happy to share The Network's campaign to fund domestic and sexual violence services. The Network has released a comprehensive report calling for the reallocation of $35-million from the budget of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to community se...

We Should Not Declare Victory Prematurely: Fight Against COVID-19 at Cook County Jail is Far From Over

Following a recent report from the CDC that the Cook County Jail has been successful in containing the COVID-19 outbreak within its walls, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart was quick to tell the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday that he responded in the “quickest and most massive way.” Appearing before the Cook...

Court Costs, Fines, and Fees Are Bad Policy

Across the country, regressive court fines, administrative costs, and filing fees are functioning to penalize people solely for their poverty. Court costs, fines, and fees (also known as “monetary sanctions”) exist in both the civil and criminal realms of the justice system and are applied in al...

50+ Institutions Call on U.S. Senate Leadership to Pass the Driving for Opportunity Act

The Collaboration for Justice—Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers—have signed on to a letter of support from the Free to Drive Coalition in support of bipartisan federal legislation, the Driving For Opportunity Act of 2020, reforming driver’s license suspension for non-driving viola...

Amicus Brief filed in the Illinois Appellate Case of People v. Gomez-Ramirez

On Friday, July 10, Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council of Lawyers submit an amicus brief in the Illinois appellate case of People v. Gomez-Ramirez (AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center, Bolingbrook, and Alexian Brothers-AHS Midwest Region Health Co., Contemnors-Appellants). Our pro bono partners...