The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender was proud to be part of the Midwest Immigrant Defenders Alliance (MIDA), a collaborative deportation defense program in partnership with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), The Immigration Project, The Resurrection Project, Erie Neighborhood House, The MICA Project, and Children's Legal Center. The Vera Institute conducted an independent evaluation of how legal representation can have an immense impact on outcomes in immigration proceedings.
Office Updates
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender proudly announces the opening of its second community-based office, the Freedom Defense Center of Austin (FDCA), located inside the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation on Chicago’s West Side.
New community office will bring holistic legal defense and support services to Chicago’s South Side.
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender filed an amicus brief in the Illinois Supreme Court case of People v. Gray, which addresses whether a past adult criminal conviction that would today be handled in juvenile court can serve as a predicate offense for purposes of charging someone under the armed habitual criminal statute.
Mitigation Specialists play a key role in public defense, advocating for a fair sentence by putting together a thorough report on the person’s life story. This is important because when a person comes before a judge for sentencing, the court is often aware of only a sliver of their circumstances.
The Cook County Public Defender’s Office announced the swearing in of 25 new attorneys who are now Assistant Public Defenders in our office. This group of attorneys joins our professional family and our mission to protect the fundamental rights, liberties and dignity of each person whose case has been entrusted to us by providing the finest legal representation.
After proclaiming his innocence for nearly 20 years, Xavier Walker Wednesday was set to walk out of the Cook County Jail a free man after prosecutors dropped all charges against him in a 2000 murder case.
The Cook County Public Defender sent a letter on January 13, 2022 to all members of the Chicago City Council requesting they reject the "Victims Just Ordinance" authorizing the city to bring civil lawsuits against gangs to seize assets.
In a historic step, attorneys from the Cook County Public Defender's Office Immigration Unit Pilot have begun representing immigrants in bond hearings and removal proceedings before the Chicago Immigration Court.
We spent a day on the road with veteran investigator Alicia Stewart to find out all about her inspiring work for the Cook County Public Defender's Office. Alicia's story is the first in an occasional series of stories we will be sharing about the work of our office.