In this podcast, Public Defender Mitchell speaks about racially targeted enforcement of gun possession statutes. In Cook County, racially disproportionate enforcement of gun rules sends thousands of Black people to prison because they do not have or cannot get the required licenses, not because they've been accused of harming someone.
2022 News Archive
False alarms involving electronic monitors are a huge issue for clients of the Cook County Public Defender's Office who are placed on house arrest while awaiting trial. The consequences can be very serious, including being put in jail or charged with a crime. The Chicago Reader and The Triibe looked into this issue.
Dozens of children have been unjustly held in the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center even though judges ordered them released. That is because the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services says it has nowhere to send them. Andrea Lubelfeld, Chief of our Juvenile Division, spoke out about the problem in a story for WBEZ.
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.
We need rational and effective criminal justice policy-making based on facts. Denying thousands of people access to essential movement because of a few anecdotes is bad policy.
Civil asset forfeiture is a tool ripe for abuse. It raises civil liberties concerns and offers little public safety value. It would be a step backward for Chicago after other jurisdictions have abandoned or reformed such tactics.
Community groups join ACLU and Cook County Public Defender urging City of Chicago to drop plan for new civil asset forfeiture powers
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.