December 5, 2023
2023 News Archive
The following op-ed was published in the Chicago Tribune on October 11, 2023.
CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2023 - Cook County Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr., joined advocates, legislators, criminal legal system stakeholders and impacted people at a news conference on Monday morning marking the end of money bond in Illinois and the beginning of a more just pretrial system.
While celebrating a historic moment for a more equitable criminal legal system, Mitchell also pledged vigilance in making sure the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) is properly implemented.
CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2023 -- On Sept. 18, the Pretrial Fairness Act will take full effect in Illinois, eliminating the use of money bond and redesigning pretrial processes to increase transparency in release and detention decisions. Cook County stands ready to implement all aspects of the Act, including the new initial appearance and detention hearing processes.
Friday, July 28, 2023
Cook County Public Defender's Office thrilled that SB424 and SB1886 are signed into law
We are thrilled that today, Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB424 and SB1886 into law, expanding rights and opportunities for people accused of gun possession and people on probation, respectively. Our office is proud of the leadership role we played in developing and passing these bills alongside our partner organizations and the sponsoring legislators.
July 18, 2023
The Cook County Public Defender’s Office said on Tuesday it is pleased that the Illinois Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act. The ruling is the strongest possible decision upholding the constitutional arguments for ending money bond.
April 12, 2023
Thank you notes adorn the walls of Maria Gordils’ office at the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. Over the years, clients and their families have written to Maria to express gratitude for her helping them “get their life back.”
February 9, 2023
Every day, attorneys from the Cook County public defender’s office represent children who are ordered released from the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center but are stuck there because the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has failed to find them a home.