News Archive

June 16, 2026

To: Members of the Chicago City Council 
Re: Opposition to Ordinance Amending Chapter 8-16 (O2023-0005298)

Dear Members of the City Council, 

We write to urge you to reject the proposed ordinance amending Chapter 8-16 of the Chicago Municipal Code relating to juvenile conduct and parental responsibility. While the ordinance has been framed as a public safety measure, its penalty scheme is a disproportionate approach to problematic youth behavior that increases the City’s litigation risk.

June 12, 2026

On Friday, June 12, 2026, the Markham Courthouse, the Bridgeview Courthouse, and Branch 35 & 38 (Pullman - 111th St.) are closed due to power outages.

Cases scheduled to be heard June 12 at the Markham Courthouse, will be heard as follows: 

Thursday, June 11, 2026

Due to power outages, the Markham Courthouse and Branch 35 & 38 (Pullman - 111th St.) are closed Thursday, June 11, 2026.

Cases scheduled to be heard June 11 at the Markham Courthouse, will be heard as follows: 

Thursday, April 9, 2026 

March 17, 2026

By Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr. | Published in Inquest

One of the fundamental injustices of the U.S. criminal legal system is that who ends up in court has more to do with how much money they have in their pocket than almost anything else. Across the country, the vast majority of people who find themselves being arrested and prosecuted are poor.

November 21, 2025

The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender has opposed the State’s Attorney’s felony bypass policy since its inception, and we oppose any expansion.

This policy abandons prosecutors’ duty to review felony charges and simply hands that responsibility to police, who have an obvious incentive to bring charges, whether or not there is evidence to support them.

October 31, 2025

SPRINGFIELD, IL – A coalition of legal services, immigrant justice and civil rights, and domestic violence organizations is celebrating the early morning passage of statewide legislation to ban civil arrests in and around Illinois state courthouses. HB1312 extends protections recently enacted by court order in Cook County to all Illinois residents and enables civil penalties for violations of the law. 

October 15, 2025

October 1, 2025

The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender and 13 criminal and civil legal aid and social services organizations, including nine specializing in serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, formally petitioned the court today.

September 15, 2025

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.