For anyone who’s paid a traffic ticket, filed a lawsuit in small claims court or checked online to find the next court hearing, the circuit clerk’s role is integral. But that could change, as all 102 circuit clerks across Illinois, including Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown, face 10 to 20 percent salary cuts...
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Judge Ursula Walowski works at a pace that can only be described as frenetic. A judge in Cook County’s Domestic Violence Court, Walowski sets bonds, dismisses cases and imposes her judgments so swiftly that simply following along can become dizzying.
With so many cases on her docket, a visitor to her courtroom may wonder: Does...
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With three months remaining in the school year, there have been 118 shootings involving Chicago Public School students. The numbers, down from last year, have prompted Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) to introduce an anonymous Violence Prevention Hotline, but one representative said it is just another “useless mandate.”
House Bill 4647, which passed the House 112-1...
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Chicago Police Board Growing Bored?
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ChicagoTalks reporter Devin Katayama reports on a new bill that would require Illinois motorcyclists to wear a helmet. Listen to the story here.
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Crimson curtains flow in the wind of the air conditioning unit—their color a gentle contrast against the stark white walls. In the kitchen, the spatter and sizzle of the fried chicken 35-year-old Sattar Naama is making can be heard. The warm, greasy smell wafts throughout the tiny, one-room Rogers Park apartment. It doesn’t matter...
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Lisa has smoked marijuana since 1998 to relieve pain from osteoporosis and two knee replacement surgeries. The suburban mother of two grown children knows that smoking pot is illegal in Illinois, but she says the benefits are worth the risk.
“I have a terrible medical history, and smoking cannabis for medical purpose improved my lifestyle...
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Artist, educator and free speech activist Chris Drew continues to challenge the city of Chicago over its peddler’s license law and other restrictions on artists’ freedom in public places.
Reporter Patrick Smith has been documenting Drew’s struggle. His story, Artists on the march: Free speech protesters pass out artwork to draw attention...
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First-time felons in Illinois could escape prison time and get a fresh start under a new proposal, but prosecutors and victims rights organizations say it may not ease the stress of a strained court system or protect victims.
State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) introduced SB 2607 on Jan. 21.It would allow offenders who either plead...
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Don’t be a dope when it comes to issues that affect you every day. Politicians influence your health insurance costs, whether you get unemployment insurance, how much you can get in student loans, and what taxes you pay for a coffee or soft drink. How much lower might your rates be if the Cook...
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