City investigation finds Lightfoot administration misled about the wrongful raid on Anjanette Young’s home
In 2019, CPD officers burst into the social worker’s home and fruitlessly searched it while Young stood naked and handcuffed.
Criminal Justice
The investigative reporters on WBEZ’s criminal justice desk tell the stories of the thousands of individuals churning through the legal systems every year in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois and hold to account the powerful officials in charge of those systems. Covering policing, jails and prisons, gun violence and solutions to it, WBEZ’s Criminal Justice team works to bring understanding to some of the most difficult problems facing our region.
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Chicago officer tries to repair relationship between CPD and families of murder victims
Grieving parents have complained for years about a lack of communication from CPD detectives. A new police unit aims to fix that.
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After a record high, Cook County Jail’s COVID-19 infections subside
Last Friday, 433 detainees were infected, the most since the start of the pandemic.
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Attorney Adam Gross to lead new civilian oversight board
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability is designed to give local residents power over police accountability and reform.
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CPS parents weigh in on school closures as union negotiations continue
Classes are canceled Monday for the fourth consecutive day.
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At least two dozen Illinoisans have been charged for their role in the Jan. 6th insurrection
Most face misdemeanor charges, but some have been charged with felonies.
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University of Chicago shares findings on January 6th insurrectionists
Who are the January 6th insurrectionists, what motivates them and how much support do they have from the American public?
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Cook County’s court reopening is drawing surprisingly positive reviews
When the right to a speedy trial resumed in October many predicted chaos and a rush of dropped cases, but that hasn’t happened.
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Jussie Smollett and Kyle Rittenhouse are among the high-profile defendants to testify at trial
The run of testifying defendants raises the question of whether a shift in thinking is occurring among lawyers, many of whom have long regarded putting clients on the stand as a desperate, last-resort option.
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64% of Illinois prison workers are now vaccinated as their union fights the mandate
The number of workers vaccinated against COVID-19 has shot up since Gov. JB Pritzker announced a vaccine requirement.
