Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is taking heat for comments directed at Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. Not one to mince words, Preckwinkle said last week that the two were “too focused on arrests as a solution to rising violence and not enough on improving a ‘miserable’ public school system and beefing up youth programs,” according to the Chicago Tribune. [Read more…]
Massive Pot Field Burned to the Ground on Chicago’s South Side
A marijuana grow field was discovered on Chicago’s Far South Side last week and it didn’t take long for police to completely burn the crop to the ground. The pot field was said to be massive and to be somewhere that police helicopters flew over often, though it remained undiscovered until now. [Read more…]
Your Car Can Be Taken From You If Passenger Has Pot in Chicago
A little known city code in Chicago allows for the city to take your car when someone within it is found to possess a drug—even if you aren’t aware of it. This means drivers in Chicago may want to start patting down their passengers if they hope to completely eliminate the risk. [Read more…]
Illinois “Heroin Highway” Takes Suburbanites Into Chicago
Interstate 88, I-290 and Roosevelt Road have become affectionately known as the heroin highways as they transport more and more suburbanites from the outskirts of the city into Chicago looking to get some heroin. The problem only seems to be getting worse, according to the Herald News. [Read more…]
License Plate Scanning Surveillance Technology in Skokie
As the police surveillance state expands daily, these stories are becoming routine, and the reach of government tracking of average citizens gets a little wider every day. [Read more…]
Marijuana Possession Decriminalized in Chicago
A ordinance passed this week in the city of Chicago reduces the penalty you’ll face if you are caught in possession of marijuana. The change follows similar such ordinances in several large cities across the nation. Now, if you are found in possession of less than 15 grams (or a half-ounce) of marijuana, police can issue a ticket rather than arresting you. [Read more…]
Judge Rules Chicago Gun Ban Unconstitutional
A federal judge struck down part of the Chicago firearm ordinance this week. U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan said the ordinance, which bans weapons permits for those convicted of “unlawful use of a weapon,” is vague and unconstitutional. Now the city can appeal the ruling or change the ordinance. [Read more…]
Illinois Eavesdropping Law Unconstitutional Says Judge
A controversial law, making it a felony offense to record police officers without their knowledge, has been ruled unconstitutional by a Cook County judge this week. Judge Stanley Sacks, assigned to the Criminal Courts Building determined the law criminalizes “wholly innocent conduct.” [Read more…]
Recording Arrests In IL Still a Serious Felony
This spring, when hundreds of international dignitaries arrive in Chicago for the G-8 summit and NATO, thousands of protesters and journalists will follow. Chicago is in for a crowded and eventful May, particularly given the number of potential arrests that will be made—protests at these events are notoriously volatile. But, in addition to protesters, cops could be arresting any journalists who record them under the state’s current “draconian” wiretapping law. [Read more…]
In Chicago, Pot Possession Largely Decriminalized
A recent Gallup poll showed more than half of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, more than ever before. And with state and local budgets being stretched thin, some communities are seeing a tendency for law enforcement to let pot possession slide without official criminal charges. According to the Sun-Times, this trend has led to a virtual decriminalization of pot within the city of Chicago. [Read more…]