Still in prison after 18 years despite the flimsy evidence of his guilt, Kevin Jackson tore open the letter from the Cook County conviction integrity unit — a squad in the prosecutor’s office set up to dig into cases such as his and free the wrongfully convicted. He was filled with hope prosecutors in the […]
Posted inJudicial Conduct
Cook County judge reassigned, referred to judicial oversight board after allegedly sharing anti-Black image
A recently elected Cook County judge, Caroline Glennon-Goodman, was temporarily reassigned and referred to the state Judicial Inquiry Board Friday for allegedly sharing a racist image in a text message. The image, which was leaked to the broader public last week, parodied a Little Tykes toy box with a picture of a Black child and […]
Posted inThe Tenant Trap
Register for our tenant workshop to learn how to research Chicago buildings
Are you a Chicago renter, homeowner, community advocate — or just someone who’s curious about Chicago’s housing landscape? Join Injustice Watch senior reporters Maya Dukmasova and Alejandra Cancino for a free, hands-on workshop to help Chicago residents learn how to research building code violations and find out who owns properties in the city. During this […]
Posted inStaff News & Awards
Year in review: Injustice Watch’s best work of 2024
Investigative reporting doesn’t always make a measurable impact, and reverberations often come long after stories are published. That wasn’t true for Injustice Watch this year. Our work in 2024 led to a court order granting tenants in eviction court more information about their landlords, prompted a county board hearing into deaths at the Cook County […]
Posted inDying on Dart’s Watch
Sheriff Tom Dart skips hearing on Cook County Jail deaths as families offer tearful testimony
The Cook County Board of Commissioners held a hearing Wednesday on the health and safety of people incarcerated at the Cook County Jail in response to an Injustice Watch investigation which found 2023 was the deadliest year in the jail in at least three decades. In its investigation, published in June, Injustice Watch looked into […]
Posted inJudicial Conduct
Property records raise new questions about influential Cook County judge
As the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board investigates powerful Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. for claiming improper property tax exemptions in another county, an Injustice Watch examination into his other property holdings raises additional ethical questions. Wright, 83, a highly respected presiding judge overseeing dozens of colleagues in the first municipal district, was a […]
Posted in2024 Retention
O’Malley loses retention, becoming third judge in 6 years to be ousted by voters
For the third time in the past four elections, voters removed a Cook County judge from the bench — something which hadn’t happened in the previous three decades. Judge Shannon O’Malley, 62, a first-term judge in the court’s child protection division, was ousted by voters in the Nov. 5 election after Injustice Watch raised questions […]
Posted inThe Tenant Trap
Advocates push for at least $20M in city’s 2025 budget for housing measures
Chicago tenant advocates are asking for at least $20 million in the city’s 2025 budget to help tenants fight against what they say are unfair evictions, create a registry of landlords, and help to stabilize displacement of tenants and homeowners in areas surrounding the future Obama Presidential Center. The three proposals would help address some […]
Posted inThe Tenant Trap
Chief judge issues new order aimed at helping tenants facing eviction in troubled buildings
Tenants who live in substandard housing and face evictions got a boost from Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans last week, when he issued a new order making it easier for them to gather evidence against their landlords. The reform is one of several proposals stemming from the Injustice Watch series “The Tenant […]
Posted inJudicial Conduct
Powerful Cook County judge referred to judicial misconduct board over residency conflicts
Embattled Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright was referred to a state disciplinary board on Wednesday by the chief judge after an Injustice Watch investigation found he took inappropriate homestead and senior tax exemptions on a house he owned in Will County. Wright, 83, will retain his powerful position as presiding judge of Cook County’s […]