In The News

Why a strong public defense is key to ending police violence and mass incarceration

COOK COUNTY BOARD PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FORNEW PUBLIC DEFENDER IMMIGRATION UNIT

Today, during her annual budget address, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced the County’s support of a new Immigration Unit being launched by Public Defender Amy P. Campanelli. The new Immigration Unit will be funded through a private/public partnership between Cook County and private funding thanks to the support of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation.

The Defenders For All campaign is a coalition of immigrant leaders, community organizations, and legal service providers that support the creation of a fully funded immigration unit within the Cook County Public Defender’s Office (CCPD) to protect immigrants against deportation.

Cook County Public Defender, Amy Campanelli speaks about the lawsuit against the City of Chicago for Denying Access to Counsel to Those in Police Custody.

Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli talks about the repercussions for looters in Chicago.

Cook County Public Defender, Amy Campanelli discusses the new 'restorative justice' court aims to offer more productive alternative to jail.

Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli addresses budget issues with the Cook County Board on 7/22/2020.

A discussion about systemic injustice

Head of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, Amy Campanelli, discusses holding CPD accountable and a lawsuit her office is filing against the City of Chicago.

The suit filed by the Cook County public defenders office and several activist groups accuses the Chicago Police Department of a “long record” of denying these rights to arrestees.

Lawyers from the Cook County public defender office led a Black Lives Matter march around the Leighton Criminal Courthouse and jail facility Monday afternoon.

The march was part of a nationwide public defenders protest coordinated by the San Diego office.

Assistant Public Defender Takenya Nixon said she and other Chicago lawyers and residents — the crowd had swelled to several hundred by its conclusion — were motivated to participate for two reasons.

“There are too many people who just take the words of the officers and do not listen to the accused,” public defender Ashley Shambley told marchers.

Former President Barack Obama urged American mayors to take action at the local level to heal relations between police departments and black communities in a virtual town hall Wednesday. Cook County public defender Amy Campanelli joined Good Day with some insight on what that should look like.