Joe Mahr – Page 5 –

The criminal case against Lavandis Hudson's mother, Marles Blackman, is still pending at the Markham branch of the Cook County courts after more than 11 years.

Stalled Justice: Lawsuit on boy’s 2011 death is long over, but Cook County still hasn’t tried his mom for murder

June 14, 2024 at 6:42 p.m.

On a sweltering July evening 12 years ago, medics raced to a Midlothian apartment and found a bleeding and badly bruised toddler struggling to breathe. The little boy was too...

The view is pastoral from the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles, but the county contains much of Illinois' second largest city, Aurora, and sees its share of violent crimes.

As Cook County courts fail to address delays that erode justice, a neighboring system shows reform is possible

June 14, 2024 at 6:42 p.m.

When a defendant appearing in court has been jailed for a lengthy period, a color-coded spreadsheet alerts the judge that the case has been dragging. Instead of hearings that last...

Legal files are pulled on a cart through the lobby toward a courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Jan. 23, 2023.

Cook County prosecutors take step to streamline evidence tracking in court system long plagued by delays

June 14, 2024 at 6:43 p.m.

In a move that could help speed up prosecution of notoriously slow criminal cases, the Cook County state's attorney's office will more comprehensively store and track digital evidence, officials said....

Los archivos legales se llevan a una sala de audiencias en el edificio del Tribunal Penal de Leighton en enero.

Justicia estancada: a medida que empeoran los retrasos en los tribunales, los funcionarios no han adoptado reformas. Estos son los pasos que podrían tomar

April 17, 2023 at 11:58 p.m.

Hace una década, los sistemas judiciales tanto en la ciudad de Nueva York como en Chicago estaban tan atrasados que cientos de personas habían estado en la cárcel durante más...

A defendant waits in a holding cell in the basement of Cook County Jail before being taken to a court appearance.

Stalled Justice: Delays in the Cook County courts

June 14, 2024 at 6:43 p.m.

Another hearing. Another delay. This is what passes for progress in the Cook County criminal courts, a system that a Tribune investigation found is failing at its most essential function:...

Legal files are wheeled toward a courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in January.

Stalled Justice: As court delays worsen, officials have failed to embrace reforms. Here are steps they could take.

June 14, 2024 at 6:43 p.m.

A decade ago, the court systems in both New York City and Chicago were so backlogged that hundreds of people had been sitting in jail for more than two years...

Stalled Justice: Judges could push the pace on slow-moving murder cases. Most of them don’t.

June 14, 2024 at 6:43 p.m.

For years, two veteran Cook County judges presided over fifth-floor courtrooms just down the hall from each other, sitting on identical carved wooden benches and presiding over identical types of...

Justicia estancada: Los jueces podrían acelerar el ritmo de los casos de asesinato. La mayoría no lo hace

April 16, 2023 at 10:43 a.m.

Durante años, dos jueces veteranos del condado de Cook presidieron las salas del tribunal del quinto piso, al extremo del pasillo uno del otro, sentados en bancos de madera tallados...

Justicia estancada: Desde falta de evidencia hasta policías que no se presentan, la maquinaria de la corte del condado de Cook se atasca a cada paso

April 12, 2023 at 9:02 a.m.

A través del grueso vidrio que separaba a los espectadores de la acción de su sala del tribunal, el rostro de la jueza de circuito Joanne Rosado estaba borroso, pero...

Stalled Justice: From missing evidence to no-show cops, Cook County court machinery jams at every turn

June 14, 2024 at 6:43 p.m.

Through the thick glass separating spectators from the action of her courtroom, Circuit Judge Joanne Rosado's face was hazy, but the frustration in her voice was clear. "I'm not sure...

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