California Votes to Downgrade Drug Crimes: Is Illinois Next?

On November 4, 2014, voters in California changed yesterday’s felony drug possession into today’s misdemeanor.  Voters passed a significant ballot measure, Proposition 47, a criminal reform initiative to dramatically reduce the punishment for a variety of crimes. The passage of Proposition 47 made C...
November 15, 2014

Letter to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

If you are a subscriber to the Daily Law Bulletin, you have probably seen our letter in the Lawyer's Forum concerning the Cook County Bond Court. We have reprinted it below for nonsubscribers. A wishlist for forthcoming bond court plan By Ali Abid and Malcolm Rich Ali Abid is a staff attorney and M...
October 30, 2014

The Supreme Court Looks at Judicial Campaign Fundraising

On October 2, 2014, the Supreme Court granted cert in Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar, examining the constitutionality under the First Amendment of a state ethical rule barring candidates for state judicial posts from personally soliciting campaign donations. Lanell Williams-Yulee was a candidate...
October 22, 2014

Judicial Elections

Early voting has already started in Cook County and there are 101 judicial races: 27 vacancies, 73 retention elections and 1 new judicial seat. Voteforjudges.org—a non-partisan website founded by Chicago Appleseed and sponsored by the Committee to Elect Qualified Judges—collects the judicial evalua...
October 21, 2014

Congratulations to Staff Attorney Ali Abid on Partner of the Year Award

On Saturday October 4th, at their 132nd Annual Assembly, the Community Renewal Society honored Chicago Appleseed Staff Attorney, Ali Abid, with their Partner of the Year Award. The Community Renewal Society is a progressive, faith-based organization that works to eliminate race and class barriers....
October 8, 2014