About Elizabeth Monkus

Elizabeth Monkus (she/her) is the Senior Attorney & Project Director for Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. Elizabeth came to Chicago Appleseed in 2010 to manage the Judicial Performance Commission Demonstration project. She currently focuses on domestic relations and judicial elections in her program work.

Voters Do Not Retain Cook County Judge

For the first time in nearly 30 years, Cook County voters have voted against the retention of a sitting Circuit Court judge. Judge Matthew Coghlan, who sat in the Criminal Courts, received less than the 60% “yes” vote necessary to retain his seat. The Illinois Supreme Court will appoint a replacemen...

Chicago Council of Lawyers Testimony at Consent Decree Hearings

Chicago Council of Lawyers offered testimony at the police accountability Consent Decree hearings this week. A representative of the Civil Liberties Committee gave remarks that went beyond the comments submitted in writing in August of this year.   The testimony began with the acknowledgment...

Chicago Council of Lawyers Comments on the Draft Chicago Police Consent Decree

In July, the Illinois Attorney General, along with Chicago’s mayor and the Chicago Police Superintendent, released a draft consent decree, seeking sustainable reform of the Chicago Police Department's policies and procedures. The decree and other resources concerning the drive to reform the Chicago...

Protecting Immigration Court Due Process

Protecting Immigration Court Due Process:  A Policy Statement from the Immigration Court Reform Program Committee of the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice and the Chicago Council of Lawyers Prepared by PILI Fellow Vinita Singh...

An Appellate Case Concerning Fines and Fees

Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council of Lawyers have been advocating for reform to Illinois’ system of imposing court fees, costs and fines on defendants and civil litigants for years. The systems are burdensome and arbitrary, and unfairly fund the costs of trial by burdening the state Constitution...
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