This investigation was reported in collaboration with the Chicago Tribune. In a flurry of contracts inked a decade ago, some of Illinois’ most powerful political figures declared it was time to fix ...

This story was published in partnership with The Intercept, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism. Sign up for The ...

The Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, at 1100 S. Hamilton Ave. on Chicago’s Near West Side, holds about 200 children on average. Children as young as 10 can be held there, but most ...

For decades, allegations of child abuse and employee misconduct have swirled around Chicago’s juvenile detention center. But on Thursday, a Cook County judge will begin proceedings in a rare trial of ...

This story is a collaboration between Injustice Watch and Bolts, a nonprofit publication that covers criminal justice and voting rights in local governments. Renwick Wells and Mickey Mason say Chicago ...

Griselda Vega Samuel, left, and Steve Demitro campaign on Chicago’s Southwest Side as they compete for a 14th Subcircuit seat on the Cook County Circuit Court. Credit: Photos by Alejandra Cancino and ...

The 77 judges asking Cook County voters to keep them on the bench in November include some with unexplained tax debts, arrest histories, official censures, unflattering reversals by higher courts, and ...

Fresh flowers on the bench of Cook County Circuit Judge Joanne Rosado at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse change frequently. Credit: Courtroom sketch by Verónica Martinez The second floor of Cook ...

When he announced his candidacy for Cook County judge, Chicago Police Lt. John D. Poulos touted the opportunity to “continue my public service, which spans 23 years.” It’s a career mired in ...

Two of the 77 Cook County judges running for retention in November claim homestead exemptions on Will County houses they have owned for years, Injustice Watch discovered as part of research for its ...

For the third time in the past four elections, voters removed a Cook County judge from the bench — something which hadn’t happened in the previous three decades. Judge Shannon O’Malley, 62, a ...

Deidre Baumann, left, and her longtime campaign advisor, Roman Morrow, walk in Chicago's Austin neighborhood as she campaigns for a seat on the Cook County Circuit Court, Feb. 11, 2024. Credit: Abel ...