Policies and Problems of Cook County Central Bond Court

Policies and Problems of Cook County Central Bond Court
Inside Cook County jail. (WBEZ/Tony Arnold)
Policies and Problems of Cook County Central Bond Court
Inside Cook County jail. (WBEZ/Tony Arnold)

Policies and Problems of Cook County Central Bond Court

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The Central Bond Court of Cook County is a big, overly-bright room in a massive courthouse at 26th and California on Chicago’s Southwest Side. It’s the first place you see when you’re arrested in the county. And what happens there has a big impact on your fate. The proceedings also create a ripple effect, one that can spread outward, affecting taxpayers and communities. For more on the policies in place at bond court and what’s being done to fix what have been called arbitrary and unconstitutional practices we’re joined by two guests. WBEZ’s Tony Arnold and Daniel Coyne join us. Coyne teaches at Chicago Kent College of Law. He is also the past president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, which has worked on trying to reform how Cook County courts are organized. We also reached out to Tim Evans, the judge who runs bond court. He did not respond to our requests to be a part of this conversation.

Related:
A Look at Cook County’s Central Bond Court
Blog: Breaking down bond court: A closer look at electronic monitoring