Illinois motorists and their passengers could be subject to search and prosecution for possession of cannabis if law enforcement officers say they detect the smell of raw cannabis during a police stop. That's what Illinois Supreme Court ruled in a December 5 opinion. The case came to the
During her eight years as top prosecutor, Kim Foxx's office vacated 248 convictions, according to a final report released on Nov. 30, Foxx's final day as Cook County State's attorney. "When I first took this seat in 2016, Chicago was widely known as
In a letter published in the TRiiBE, Frank Chapman, community organizer, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and education director an field organizer of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression says Chicago must build upon the legacy of former Cook County State'
At a "Keeping Up With Kim" event in July 2023 top prosecutor Kim Foxx walked the line between ensuring that her office would pursue justice for victims of crime while also establishing policies aimed at undoing longstanding unfairness in Cook County's criminal justice system, Illinois and
The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday reversed the conviction of Jussie Smollett agreeing that the Cook County State's Attorney's office unlawfully reneged on a deal to drop charges filed against the former Empire actor in 2019, instead re-prosecuting him on felony disorderly conduct charges. "We
With prosecutors from the four most populous counties by his side, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tuesday announced the establishment of a conviction integrity unit in his office – the first statewide effort to acknowledge there are people in the more than two dozen Illinois prisons convicted of crimes that
Community activists working on criminal justice issues were ambivalent about their choices for the next occupant of the White House and doubtful either of the candidates in the presidential race would have an impact on local concerns. "I think he who will go without a name clearly shows America
Judge Carol Howard grew up on Chicago's West Side into a family of six children and became the first lawyer in her family's history. In a survey about her work, Howard credits the listening skills she learned from her parents as an asset she employs every
An appellate court panel on Friday reversed a circuit court judge’s ruling to uphold the 21-year-old criminal convictions of Kevin Jackson.
After 39 hours of interrogation, Clayborn Smith in 1992 signed a statement confessing to the murders of his grandfather and great aunt. At the trial two years later, he filed a motion to suppress his confession. But the presiding judge didn't believe Smith's allegations that police
Throughout his legal career, George N. Leighton fought for justice. Does the courthouse named in his honor reflect his legacy?
Moms of adult children often lament that their sons and daughters don't call home frequently enough. But that's not the issue for Denise Spencer, who says there have been times when her son has called her as many as ten times a day. Spencer's