Commentary
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Why the public doubts Cook County’s brand of justice
The mistrust of the Criminal Division stems from a dysfunctional judicial-selection system under which Cook County voters put judges on the bench with virtually no information predictive of their ability or inclination to exercise judicial power responsibly.
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Wash Post: “Perfect storm of deceit”
What distinguished the McDonald case, which has now triggered the federal investigation, is that the officer’s actions appear so outrageous, the city’s coverup so blatant and the official line so thoroughly discredited by the release of a video , which Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s (D) administration tried so hard to keep under wraps.
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Despite DNA, Alvarez fails to bring charges in two murders
While Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s alleged mishandling of the Laquan McDonald case has drawn fury from myriad critics in recent days, her equally troubling failure to prosecute men linked by DNA to two murders has received scant public attention.
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Reform must come through mayor — not top cop
Whoever gets the superintendent job next, whether white, black or neither, will just be another puppet, someone whose strings can be cut by the mayor the next time there’s a scandal.
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Tinkering won’t curtail police deadly force
A thorough investigation of the shooting of Laquan McDonald, of course, is in order, as are investigations into every other recent and ensuing use of deadly force by Chicago police. Chicagoans deserve, and have every right to demand, honest answers — but the answers by themselves won’t change the status quo.
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Anita Alvarez’s pattern of dubious judgments
The belated charging Tuesday of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke with the first-degree murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald more than 13 months ago ought to be viewed as an indictment of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez for dereliction of duty.