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...

The Stories Behind Criminal Justice Debt, pt.1

** For the rest of August, we will be sharing personal stories of those affected by criminal justice debt to show the impact of court costs, fines, and fees on individuals and families in Illinois. If you would like to see the bi-partisan bill HB 4594-The Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act, be sign...

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...

Due Process Must Be Protected

--Sadaf Misbah, summer fellow at Chicago Appleseed   Over the weekend, President Trump proposed depriving undocumented immigrants of their due-process rights. In this message via Twitter, the President announced his intention to implement “zero tolerance” when it comes to immigrants crossing...