Posted inCourt Administration
Charles Beach elected Cook County chief judge
Beach will be Cook County’s first new chief judge in 24 years, after defeating eight-term incumbent Timothy Evans.
Timothy Evans
Posted inYouth Incarceration
Cook County plans to replace juvenile detention center with smaller ‘centers of care’
Fewer than 50 kids are expected to remain in the juvenile jail, while most kids will be released post-arrest or held in semi-secure, community-based facilities, according to a proposal from Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office.
Posted inCriminal Courts
In Illinois, you (still) don’t have a right to a speedy trial
At the start of the pandemic, the Illinois Supreme Court suspended defendants’ constitutional rights to a speedy trial as courtrooms closed throughout the state. But even as pandemic restrictions are lifted across the board, the right to a speedy trial remains on hold.
Posted inCook County Jail
Court backlog leaves hundreds of people in Cook County Jail for more than a year
Covid-19 restrictions have led to a growing felony court backlog in Cook County. To clear it, “we have to move faster than normal,” one expert said.
Posted inCook County Jail
Activists demand courts release detainees amid COVID-19 concerns
In an open letter to Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, reform advocates are demanding the release of as many detainees as possible in order to mitigate risks related to the new coronavirus.
Posted inBail and Pretrial
Report: Judging bail reform impossible because officials withhold key data
The county judges and sheriff make meaningful review of bail reforms difficult by withholding key data, the Civic Federation reports.
