In a primary with historically low turnout, the most controversial candidates in subcircuits lost out to those with stronger reviews from fellow lawyers.
Posted inJudicial Elections
Name-change law used to target women running for judge
Ashonta C. Rice’s name was removed from the Cook County ballot under a 2007 law intended to prevent candidates from using name changes to deceive voters. She’s not the first, and some say the law has been used as a political weapon against female candidates instead.
Posted in2024 Primary
In a hyper-local judicial race, questions about what counts as community representation
Judicial subcircuits were created to increase community representation. 30 years later, it is still unclear what representation means.
Posted in2024 Primary
A perennial candidate pins her hopes on her sixth run for judge
Deidre Baumann has spent more than a decade trying to become a Cook County judge. Here’s why she thinks this race, for a seat in the 7th Subcircuit, will be different.
Posted inJudicial Elections
Where to find a print copy of our March 2024 Cook County judicial election guide
We printed 120,000 copies of our judicial election guide and are partnering with other newsrooms, community organizations, local businesses, and civic do-gooders to distribute them across Cook County.
Posted in2024 Primary
A notorious Chicago cop wants to become a Cook County judge
Chicago Police Lt. John D. Poulos is running for Cook County judge. Standing in his way is a tarnished track record that experts say calls his credibility into question.
Posted in2024 Primary
High-ranking Cook County prosecutor jumps into race for judge
Among the candidates for Cook County Circuit Court judge — mostly obscure outside courthouses and bar associations — Risa Lanier stands out. As second-in-command to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Lanier has been central to the operations of an office known for its progressive approach to justice and its fumbling of heater cases that exploded […]
Posted in2024 Primary
March 2024 Cook County judicial election guide
Injustice Watch’s comprehensive, nonpartisan guide to the 2024 Cook County judicial primary elections.
Posted in2024 Primary
Questions of race and ethnicity in Illinois Supreme Court race highlight diversity of the Latinx experience
The race is showcasing ideological differences within the Latinx community about what it means to be Latinx and what it looks like to have representation in the judiciary.
Posted inPolice
911 calls on South, West Sides ignored while ‘rapid response’ cops make traffic stops instead
Neighbors in Black and Latinx communities often wait for police to show up — if they show up at all. Teams created to respond quickly to calls for service have been spending their time on traffic stops instead, data shows.