Publications Archives - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Independent Analysis of State’s Attorney Charging Trends Released Today

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or Sharlyn Grace, 773-946-8535, sharlyngrace@chicagoappleseed.org Data from Cook County State’s Attorney Reveals Increased Transparency, Room for Improvement on Pledge to Reduce Incarceration Rates For immediate release Chicago,...

Driven Into Debt: The Importance of Reforming Wealth-Based Driver’s License Suspension

On May 7, 2018, Chicago Appleseed and our partners in the Working Group on Court Costs, Fines, and Fees released our policy positions on criminal court fines, fees, and costs. Using impact data and research, the Working Group developed a list of policy commitments aimed at mitigating the impact of c...

Announcing Policy Positions on Criminal Court Fines, Fees, & Costs + Action Needed Today!

To skip right to action step and file a witness slip in support of The Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act (HB 4594), click here! In one of the richest countries in the world, local and state governments impose the costs of financing the criminal court system on the backs of those who can least af...

Community Groups Monitored Cook County’s Central Bond Court, Data Shows Reforms Haven’t Stopped the Jailing of People for Being Poor

Coalition to End Money Bond Press contacts: Sharlyn Grace, Chicago Appleseed, 773-946-8535, sharlyngrace@chicagoappleseed.org Irene Romulo, Chicago Community Bond Fund, 312-553-0995, irene@chicagobond.org Volunteers report that the rate of pretrial release has nearly doubled, but further ch...

Appleseed applauds efforts to curb illegally imposed criminal court fines, fees, and costs; Releases New Resource for Defense Attorneys

Two recent decisions by the Illinois Appellate Court, People v. Mullen and People v. Smith, reduced or eliminated certain court costs, fines, and fees imposed on people convicted of crimes in Cook County. These decisions criticized both “Illinois’s labyrinthine system of criminal fines and fees” a...

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