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.
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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.
Op-ed published April 7, 2022 in the Chicago Sun-Times.
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.
This op-ed argues that the same oppressive system that was called out in 2020 is still hard at work.
Why public defenders are standing with the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association in the Supreme Court.
A power struggle has been brewing in Cook County, where job offers to several attorneys from Public Defender Sharone Mitchell were rescinded after confusion over the county's drug policy. Recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois last January. That complicated the hiring process for many, including a handful of attorneys offered jobs months ago by the Cook County Public Defender's Office. Their offers were revoked when drug tests came back positive for marijuana.