Tiwanda Moore filed a report with the Chicago police department that she had been sexually harassed by an officer. When to police internal affairs officers came to investigate her claims, she felt they were trying to scare her into changing her report and dropping the allegations—so she recorded them. She was then charged with a felony for the recording and faced up to 15 years in prison. read more

This week Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation to make it easier for local law enforcement to combat crime in these difficult financial times. “Every community in Illinois deserves the highest level of public safety, and law enforcement must have the tools to prevent, investigate, and fight crime,” Quinn said about the new laws. “These new laws help ensure that police departments throughout our state have the resources they need to fight drug and gang activity.” read more

New numbers released from the Illinois Department of Transportation reveal what many minorities already knew—that Hispanic, Black, and Asian drivers are more likely to be ticketed and more likely to be searched when stopped by police. As a result, the ACLU has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to review how the state police handle such searches. read more

New legislation passed the state Legislature with overwhelming support. Now it awaits Governor Quinn’s signature—something that is likely inevitable. The bill would create a murderer registry, designed to track convicted murderers after they’ve been released from prison. While supporters believe the public have a right to know about their neighbor’s past, people who oppose the bill see it as an expensive tool with little real value. read more

Prosecutorial discretion is a term that refers to a prosecutor’s ability to choose which cases to prosecute and to choose what level of charge to bring. Over the last hundred years prosecutors have enjoyed a significant increase in power as prosecutorial discretion has taken a big leap coinciding with the dramatic increase in cases resolved by plea bargaining. In other words, it often seems that the prosecutor is the most powerful player in the United States criminal courts. read more

The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact Study Commission released their findings this week in a study of the drug related crimes and resulting sentences across the state. And what they found reiterates the thoughts of many in the system and in the public at large, that oftentimes racial minorities are subject to harsher penalties when confronted with criminal charges. read more

Areas around Chicago are seeing a migration of gang members and struggling to keep crime in check as the supposed gangsters leave the city for a quieter suburban life. According to the Sun-Times, Sauk Village south of the city and areas like Northbrook, Glenview, and Palatine north of the city are experiencing similar influxes. read more

Chicago, along with numerous other cities across the nation, has experienced a cop shortage. This shortage has nothing to do with a lack of applicants, but a lack of money. Currently, the force operates on a daily roster that is an astonishing 2,300 short of authorized strength. read more

In Illinois it’s illegal to record a police officer acting in the line of duty even though they can record you. According to Adam Schwartz with the American Civil Liberties Union, “It’s an unfair and destructive double standard.” In an effort to prove that the ACLU filed suit in federal court to challenge that law.

The Illinois Eavesdropping Act makes it a crime to record any conversation without consent from everyone present. The ACLU states the act violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that people should be able to record (especially police) while acting in the line of duty. read more

The media is a powerful force and when Chicago media outlets pair with a few high profile cases and a troubled economy, the result is more and more Chicago residents being scared to leave their homes. This article from the Chicago Tribune paints a picture of a city living in fear and a perceived jump in crimes when crime is actually down. read more