The Circuit Archives

A man sifts through a binder of documents laid out on the hood of his car in a parking lot, while looking at the camera.

Hundreds more Black Chicagoans are pleading guilty to gun-possession charges. Here’s one possible reason why.

As Chicago police have made more gun arrests, prosecutors are taking nearly all cases through the secretive grand jury process, where indictments are close to a sure thing.

by Josh McGhee June 17, 2022August 20, 2024

Judge Vincent Gaughan presides over a hearing for Jason Van Dyke at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building in Chicago.

The Circuit

Data highlights leniency of ex-officer Jason Van Dyke’s murder sentence

Anger about Van Dyke’s release and renewed scrutiny of Judge Vincent Gaughan’s sentencing in his case comes as the judge faces a retention election this fall.

by Maya Dukmasova March 17, 2022December 5, 2023

The Circuit

Fewer people in Cook County are being charged with crimes. Why are Black people making up a larger share of defendants?

We broke down the data on specific charges and asked experts to explain why racial disparities are increasing in Cook County criminal court.

by Josh McGhee and Jared Rutecki December 1, 2021January 8, 2024

The Circuit

Explore nearly two decades of Cook County court data

The Circuit, our project with the Better Government Association and DataMade, examines Cook County criminal court data from over 3 million cases between 2000 and 2018. Now you can view the charges in our data broken down by race, gender, and ethnicity.

by Injustice Watch Staff August 13, 2021January 31, 2024

The Circuit

Conoce a la juez del Condado de Cook ante quien los abogados defensores menos quieren comparecer

La jueza Diane Gordon Cannon es criticada por sus arrebatos verbales, su inclinación a favor de la fiscalía, y por encarcelar a personas en libertad condicional por infracciones que a veces son menores.

by Emily Hoerner and Casey Toner October 26, 2020January 30, 2024

The Circuit

Meet the Cook County judge attorneys least want to appear before

Judge Diane Gordon Cannon criticized for verbal outbursts, a pro-prosecution bent and jailing of probationers for sometimes-minor infractions.

by Emily Hoerner and Casey Toner October 22, 2020September 2, 2025

A judge sits on the bench surrounded by traffic barriers

The Circuit

A veteran Cook County judge has been repeatedly blocked from hearing sex offense cases. Here’s why.

An unprecedented investigation of court data finds systematic effort to keep Judge James Linn from deciding sex charges after a controversial ruling he made years ago.

by Casey Toner and Emily Hoerner October 22, 2020February 6, 2024

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