Posted inJudicial Elections
What are Cook County judicial retention elections?
Why we vote to retain judges and your other questions answered.
Kelly Garcia
Kelly Garcia reports on youths, prisons, and the court system. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2022, Kelly was a staff writer at the Chicago Reader, where she wrote about news and politics on the Southwest Side. In 2022, the Chicago Journalists Association named her Emerging Journalist of the Year for her reporting on the private music festivals occupying Douglass Park. She was born in Miami and raised in Orlando before moving to Chicago for college. She now lives on the Lower West Side.
Posted inProsecutors
ICE deported them. Cook County prosecutors still want them arrested for missing court.
Cook County prosecutors are asking judges to issue warrants for people who were no-shows in traffic court — because they had already been deported.
Posted in2026 Primary
What makes these judicial races on Chicago’s South Side unique?
This year, fewer judicial candidates are running overall, either countywide or in a subcircuit. But voters in the South Loop, Hyde Park, South Shore and Roseland neighborhoods are choosing from an unusually crowded field for two open seats.
Posted inYouth Incarceration
Former juvenile jail superintendent lived in Chicago, report says
Injustice Watch reported last year that Leonard Dixon, who ran the Cook County juvenile detention center for a decade, owned property and voted in Michigan.
Posted inYouth Incarceration
Leonard Dixon stepping down as head of Cook County juvenile detention center
The superintendent of one of the country’s largest juvenile jails is resigning Dec. 1 after a decade-long tenure marked by controversy.
Posted inYouth Incarceration
‘Horrific’ video of incident at Chicago’s juvenile jail raises questions about recent trial, experts say
Former Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee Kevin Walker was acquitted last month of charges related to the incident, which left a 15-year-old boy bruised and unconscious.
Posted inYouth Incarceration
Former Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee found not guilty in incident that left a 15-year-old boy unconscious and bruised
The verdict highlights the challenges of holding detention center staff accountable for alleged abuse, advocates say.
Posted inYouth Incarceration
Rare criminal trial of former Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee expected to start Thursday
Kevin Walker is charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct for allegedly throwing a handcuffed 15-year-old boy to the floor in December 2023, causing a head injury.
Posted inYouth Incarceration
Superintendent of Chicago’s youth jail might not live here, records show
Leonard Dixon has run the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center — one of the largest youth jails in the country — for a decade. Records and interviews suggest he might not live in Chicago and is rarely seen at the facility.
Posted inImmigration
Chicago immigration court: A guide to removal hearings
Are attorneys free? What happens if you miss a court hearing? We spoke with legal experts to answer common questions.