Staff
Our team of investigative reporters, editors, and community builders works collaboratively to produce public service journalism about the Cook County court system. We center our values of accessibility, community, collaboration, and care.
Grace Asiegbu
reporter
Grace Asiegbu has covered housing, evictions, and reentry and is interested in the intersection of gender issues and the courts. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2021, she worked at the Chicago Sun-Times. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Grace is a lifelong Southsider who lives in Bronzeville. More by Grace Asiegbu
Carlos Ballesteros
Senior Reporter
Carlos Ballesteros reports on policing, immigration, and issues affecting older adults in the court system. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2020, Carlos was a Report for America corps member at the Chicago Sun-Times covering the south and west sides of the city. He also was a digital breaking news reporter at Newsweek in New York. Carlos was born in Chicago and grew up here and in Mexico before attending Claremont McKenna College. More by Carlos Ballesteros
Alejandra Cancino
Senior Reporter
Alejandra Cancino reports on housing and the court system. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2023, she was an editor training emerging journalists and an investigative reporter whose award-winning work focused on the intersection between government and business. She has worked at City Bureau, the Better Government Association (now the Illinois Answers Project), the Chicago Tribune, and the Palm Beach Post. Alejandra grew up in Latin America and Miami and enjoys traveling the world in search of good hikes. More by Alejandra Cancino
Maya Dukmasova
Senior Reporter
Maya Dukmasova reports on judges, prisons, and the courts. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2021, Maya was a senior writer at the Chicago Reader, where she produced award-winning long-form features and investigative stories, as well as profiles, film reviews, and essays on a wide range of topics. Maya was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and spent much of her childhood in Appalachia. She moved to Chicago after completing a master’s degree in art history at the University of Cambridge and now lives on the Far North Side. More by Maya Dukmasova
Kelly Garcia
reporter
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. More by Kelly Garcia
Dan Hinkel
Senior Reporter
Dan Hinkel reports on courts and the legal system. He joined Injustice Watch in 2023 after two decades covering criminal justice and other issues for the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Answers Project, the Times of Northwest Indiana, and the Janesville Gazette. He also covered Kyle Rittenhouse’s 2021 criminal trial as a freelancer for the New York Times. He is a native of Janesville, Wis., who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he lives on Chicago’s Northwest Side. More by Dan Hinkel
David Jackson
Senior Reporter
David Jackson has reported on judges, elder financial exploitation, and the court system. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2023, he was an investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post, where he won a Pulitzer Prize, a senior editor at Chicago magazine, and a writer for alternative weeklies. His stories have sparked legislative hearings, exposed official corruption, and lifted the voices of neglected people. He was born and raised in Chicago. More by David Jackson
David Kidwell
Investigations Editor
David Kidwell leads investigative projects for Injustice Watch. Before joining the organization in 2023, David worked as investigative editor at the Better Government Association and as an investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, and other newspapers for more than three decades. His work has been cited for numerous awards, most recently the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
Verónica Martinez
artist-in-residence
Verónica Martinez creates visual art to accompany Injustice Watch’s public service and investigative journalism. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2022, Verónica was a freelance artist creating illustrations, large-scale murals, and editorial content on police misconduct, education, and LGBTQ+ health. Her work has been featured by organizations such as Cook County Health, the Chicago Reader, the Trace, and Cicero Independiente. She is a Cicero native who now lives on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
Amanda Miley
Director of Development and Operations
Amanda Miley is responsible for fundraising, strategic initiatives, and the day-to-day operations of the organization. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2017, she worked for several nonprofit organizations and has more than a decade of experience in community building and nonprofit management. Born and raised in Rockford, Ill,, she moved to Chicago in 2009 and currently lives in Lincoln Square.
Jonah Newman
Managing editor
Jonah Newman manages Injustice Watch’s editorial team, edits stories about the court system, and oversees the production of our judicial election guides. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2019, Jonah worked at Pacific Standard magazine, the Chicago Reporter, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Born and raised in Minnesota, he has lived in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood for nearly a decade. More by Jonah Newman
Charles Preston
community engagement manager
Charles Preston immerses himself in Cook County’s diverse communities to build relationships with community organizations, residents, and other stakeholders to properly understand information needs for impactful journalism. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2019, Charles reported on politics, activism, and community events for the Chicago Defender. His writing has been featured in In These Times, Chicago magazine, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Charles considers himself a lifelong Chicago Southsider.
Eva Putnam
Reporting resident
Eva Putnam is a spring 2024 reporting resident at Injustice Watch, through Northwestern University’s journalism residency program. Eva’s interests include youths, prisons, and the legal system, with a focus on investigative and narrative journalism. Originally from southern Wisconsin, she currently lives in Evanston to pursue her degree.
Jason Schumer
operations manager
Jason Schumer works across teams to develop processes and tools to ensure the organization runs smoothly. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2023, he was the executive director of South Side Weekly, where he led the paper through a successful merger with the Hyde Park Herald, preserving the oldest community newspaper in Chicago. He graduated from the University of Tennessee and has a master’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Chicago.
Juliet Sorensen
Executive Director
Juliet Sorensen became the executive director of Injustice Watch in 2019. Previously, she was the director of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University’s law school, where she remains on the faculty and is associated with its Center for International Human Rights. Juliet grew up in New York City and is a graduate of Princeton University and Columbia Law School.