Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Presidents’ Circle

Last night, past presidents of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers came together for the inauguration of the Presidents' Circle, a new fundraising initiative designed to support and sustain both organizations. This intimate event took place at the home of Chicago Appleseed Board me...

The Economic Case for Diversion Court

Cook County, like most metropolitan areas, has been hit hard by the recent financial crisis. Services are being cut, city staffers are being laid off and taxes are rising. Many of you may be asking why Chicago Appleseed is pushing for a new diversion court in this difficult financial environment. Ho...

Praise for the Legal Services Directory

"Thank you very much indeed for the latest copy of the Legal Services Directory. It will be very helpful to us over the coming year, and to that point, I wondered if we might be able to order 3 more copies of the book."--Ryan, Center on Halsted"I want to express my gratitude for the willingness to p...

Urge Officials to Create Diversion Courtrooms

The Criminal Justice Project of Chicago Appleseed is currently working on a proposed model for comprehensive pretrial diversion for the Cook County Felony Courts Division. The proposal centers on the creation of five pilot diversion courtrooms. Current diversion efforts include the State Attorney’s...

Judicial Performance Commission Pilot Project

There are 73 Cook County judges up for retention in the November election. Because voters have no real opportunity to independently evaluate such a large slate of candidates, unfortunately, many voters either abstain from the retention vote or make decisions based on familiar ballot cues (e.g. ethni...