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    Chicago Community Bond Fund

    News

    Lawsuit claiming Tom Dart unlawfully detained people after they posted bond can go forward

    By Steve Garrison | July 24, 2020

    The Cook County Sheriff’s policy to reject some people who had been ordered released on electronic monitoring may have violated the Fourth Amendment, an appellate court ruled.

    News

    Cook County judge rules she lacks power to find cash bail unconstitutional

    By Jeanne Kuang | June 28, 2018

    Coalition of reform groups hoped to win ruling that cash bail system discriminated against pre-trial detainees held because they could not make bail, while wealthier defendants walked free before trial. But Cook County Chancery judge concludes the lawsuit was asking for relief that was beyond her authority to grant.

    News

    Illinois appeals court endorses small counties keeping healthy chunk of bond

    By Olivia Stovicek | June 12, 2018

    A downstate Illinois defendant was acquitted of charges, but the county charged him more than $40,000 in administering his bond and pretrial detention. An Illinois appeals court last month upheld the fee, to chagrin of bond reform advocates.

    News

    Lawsuit contends Dart illegally holding inmates despite judges’ bond decisions

    By Rick Tulsky | February 28, 2018

    A recent inmate in Cook County jail has brought a class action suit against Sheriff Tom Dart, contending she was illegally held in custody even after she met the requirements set by a judge for release on electronic monitoring. The sheriff’s office contends the complaints about the new review policy are unfounded and “grandstanding.”

    News

    Sheriff’s warning over bail release sparks response from Cook County officials

    By Rick Tulsky | February 28, 2018

    Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart warned County Board President Toni Preckwinkle that the way bail reforms are being enacted risks a dangerous situation. But Preckwinkle responded that Dart’s own numbers do not support that conclusion.

    News

    New Cook County bond court rules appear to reduce, but not eliminate, problems

    By Injustice Watch Staff | October 25, 2017

    One-month report card on new rules: Fewer suspects were being held pretrial, but some still sent to jail because they could not afford bail.

    News

    Cook County bail system reforms unveiled; advocates worry not enough

    By Emily Hoerner and Jeanne Kuang | September 18, 2017

    After years of protests, lawsuits, and complaints from county officials, the Cook County Circuit Court on Monday unveiled its long-awaited bail system reform.

    News

    Cook County judge to decide whether to dismiss lawsuit over bail system

    By Jeanne Kuang | September 11, 2017

    The judges’ attorney said a new bond court rule adopted by Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans has made the issue moot.

    News

    Change difficult as bail system’s powerful hold continues punishing the poor

    By Injustice Watch Staff | October 14, 2016

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    Las hospitalizaciones por Covid-19 en el Departamento de Correccionales de Illinois, provocan angustia a los seres queridos de los encarcelados

    Este artículo, publicado originalmente en inglés por Injustice Watch, está disponible en español gracias al proyecto "Traduciendo las noticias de Chicago", del Instituto de Noticias Sin Fines de Lucro (INN). Read in English.

    Our commitment to anti-racism

    We, the Injustice Watch staff, feel pain and anger, like so many in our community, over the police killing of George Floyd and the systemic racism his death represents. The list of Black people whose lives have been cut short by police brutality is excruciatingly long.

    2020 Judicial Primary Election Guide
    The scales of justice with a check mark and the words Check Your Judges

    13 states have never exonerated a prisoner based on DNA evidence. Here’s why.

    Hundreds of state prisoners have successfully used DNA evidence to win exonerations in the past three decades — except in 13 states. The states are Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont.

    Cook County judicial candidate, colleague misled jury into wrongful conviction

    This is the first of a series of Injustice Watch reports on candidates and campaigning for the Cook County Circuit Court 2018 elections.  Longtime Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Gerber achieved his lifelong dream in December 2016 when the state Supreme Court appointed him to the Cook County Circuit Court, filling a vacancy. But as he now runs to win a full six-year term, Gerber faces a potential obstacle: Another Cook County judge has ruled that Gerber and a second prosecutor made false statements to a jury that led to a wrongful conviction.

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