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Judicial Elections

Chicago mayor’s support of Judge Michael Toomin leaves juvenile justice advocates ‘disappointed’

By John Seasly and Adeshina Emmanuel | October 20, 2020

Judge Michael Toomin and Mayor Lori Lightfoot say his critics are playing politics. Reformers say the lives and futures of Cook County children are at stake.

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Injustice Watch is a Chicago-based nonprofit news organization dedicated to investigating causes of systemic injustice, and helping point the path to a more just society.

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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

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.