Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Lawsuit: Chicago Police Department Relies on Faulty ‘Evidence’ from ShotSpotter to Make Arrests

On July 21, 2022, attorneys from Northwestern University’s MacArthur Justice Center filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Michael Williams, Daniel Ortiz, and Lucy Parsons Labs against the City of Chicago, Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent David Brown, and several CPD officers. The lawsui...

Northwestern Report Highlights the Need for Culture Change in Cook County’s Court System

The criminal legal system is divided into two main groups: insiders and outsiders. Court “insiders” include judges, clerks, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other court staff; essentially, the individuals who are familiar with the legal system and are not at court for personal affairs. Court “out...

Federal Monitor Report: Lack of Care, Outright Neglect of Health and Safety of People Imprisoned by IDOC Violates Human Rights

On August 5, 2022, a federal court held the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) in civil contempt of court for failing to comply with the requirements of a consent decree aimed at improving the unacceptable level of medical care provided to people in IDOC custody. The lawsuit, originally filed...

NEW REPORT | “Slipping Through the Cracks” – Evaluation of the Cook County Domestic Violence Division in Chicago

Since early 2020, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers have been evaluating the Domestic Violence Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, with a specific focus on the Domestic Violence Courthouse at 555 West Harrison in Chicago. Today, we release our find...

UChicago Crime Lab Report: Blaming Electronic Monitoring for Violence is Not Supported by the Data

Electronic monitoring (EM) is a form of incarceration in which a person is ordered to wear an ankle shackle that records their location. In Cook County, the Sheriff runs a pretrial electronic monitoring program that combines location monitoring with house arrest. Individuals charged with crimes—who...