Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Capstone Event for the Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago

On August 8, the Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago (FJLOC) held its Capstone Luncheon at the offices of ArentFox Schiff. About 60 persons attended this hybrid event where we offered our congratulations to the 50 undergraduate and high school students who completed the FJLOC program. Our goal is to c...

Governor Pritzker has Signed HB 1628 into Law, Strengthening Data Collection & Transparency in Civil Asset Forfeiture Practices

https://www.chicagoappleseed.org/2025/05/27/hb1628-a-step-toward-enhancing-data-collection-and-transparency-in-reporting-civil-asset-forfeiture/ On Friday, August 15th, 2025, Governor Pritzker signed HB1628 into law with an effective date of January 1st, 2026. The legislation, led by State Repre...

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...

RULING—Appellate Court in Police Arbitration Case Upholds Public Interest in Open and Transparent Police Oversight

Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council of Lawyers have separately joined amicus briefs in 01-24-0875, an appeal by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 7, seeking to reverse a trial court ruling that rejected an arbitrator's ruling which allowed Chicago police officers who are accused of serious m...

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...