A team of 14 Injustice Watch journalists documented 1,398 bond court cases in six different Cook County courthouses this summer, as part of the continuing Injustice Watch investigation into inequalities at different stages of the justice system. Here is their report.
First in a series of reports examining the unequal treatment afforded people of color at critical points in the criminal justice system.
Dozens are vying for judge’s seats in Cook County. Not all of them got recommendations from local bar groups.
U.S. attorneys across the country charge law enforcement officers in civil rights cases about 42 times a year, declining to prosecute more than nine in every 10 cases referred to prosecutors by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Of the few cases that appear before the Courts Commission, punishment is slow and seldom more than a public reprimand.
On an average year the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board gets close to 450 complaints, but a step by step walk through of the complaint process shows that a majority of cases are dismissed before any investigation into the complaint occurs. Of the minority of complaints that do get investigated, most are dismissed or dealt with confidentially. Even fewer complaints are made known to the public.