Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova's recent investigation of a UIC crime lab involved submitting more than 45 FOIA request, reviewing more than 8k pages of documents, and interviewing more than 50 people. If you've got questions or want to learn more about her process, join us on Reddit! buff.ly/BnaI0DC

NEW: Judge Ruth Gudino was reassigned from a domestic violence courtroom in Markham after a clerk accused her of pushing him. The Cook County Sheriff's office concluded the allegation was 'unfounded.' buff.ly/T9w2Mnu

We’re excited to continue collaborating with WBEZ on coverage of the vast inequities between Chicago landlords and tenants. For this story, senior reporter Maya Dukmasova consulted with WBEZ reporters on eviction and housing court, and collaborated on data requests.

If you read “The Tenant Trap,” you know the court system favors property rights of landlords over the rights of renters. This story by WBEZ reporters Amy Qin and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang dives into one important aspect of that: the challenge of holding LLC landlords accountable.

Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova served as a reporting consultant on this story about Chicago’s LLC landlords. We’re proud to republish this important piece by WBEZ reporters Amy Qin and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang. www.injusticewatch.org/civil-courts...

Thanks to everyone who joined our webinar about first steps newsrooms need to take when ICE arrests a journalist, and a special thanks to our panelists: @attorneynora.bsky.social, @scarletprim.bsky.social, @writeralejandra.bsky.social, Samantha C. Hamilton, and Marium Uddin. Watch it below:

Happening today! 📣

📺 Senior reporter @mdoukmas.bsky.social was on FOX 32 discussing the Cook County Circuit Court's new chief judge and the significance of his election. buff.ly/EhSaDvA

🎧 Senior reporter Carlos Ballesteros is featured on the latest episode of WBEZ Curious City, discussing his reporting on people who died while in custody at Cook County Jail. buff.ly/ReHsXQC

🎧 Reporter Kelly Garcia is a guest on the latest episode of City Cast Chicago, discussing her investigation of the head of Cook County’s juvenile detention center and the results of Cook County’s chief judge election. buff.ly/Rixw9wX

🔔 Join us to discuss first steps newsrooms need to take when ICE arrests a journalist, with @attorneynora.bsky.social, @scarletprim.bsky.social, @caitlinvogus.bsky.social, @writeralejandra.bsky.social, Samantha C. Hamilton, and Marium Uddin. 🕒 Sept. 15, 4 pm EDT RSVP: freedom.press/arrested-by-...

The Medium Division winner of the Community Champion Award is the five-part series “The Tenant Trap” from @injusticewatch.org.

"Beach had little to share about his plans for the non-judicial part of the court bureaucracy. But he was also the only candidate to speak about the growing need to develop policies 'in response to changing dynamics, such as the detention of immigrants in our courts.'"

I know there's a lot of news today, but in my neck of the woods, this is BIG news. Cook County hasn't had a new chief judge since Sept. 11, 2001 (yes, really). The chief judge might be the most consequential local public official you've probably never heard of. @mdoukmas.bsky.social with the story.

Charles Beach, 55, was elected Cook County chief judge this evening, defeating 24-year incumbent Timothy Evans. He’ll take over control over a vast court bureaucracy as well as judicial assignments when his term starts Dec. 1. Story by @mdoukmas.bsky.social. www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

Beach has not made any promises about the juvenile detention center as far as I know so it remains to be seen if the JTDC will get a new superintendent and if he’ll continue forward with Evans’ effort to drastically reduce the size of the facility in the coming years…

This will have strong political implications for the Cook County juvenile detention center, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chief Judge. The current superintendent was appointed by Evans in 2015 and, to the bewilderment of many, kept around despite persistent concerns about his leadership.

Read @mdoukmas.bsky.social’s latest to learn more about the Cook County Circuit Court’s new chief judge www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

BREAKING: Charles “Charlie” Beach has been elected as chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, unseating Timothy Evans. Evans held the position for a record 24 years.

BEAKING NEWS: COOK COUNTY HAS A NEW CHIEF JUDGE - Charles Beach

All the judges are inside now and it's quiet in the hallway, except for the occasional attorneys and litigants ambling by. Inside the room we can't see there will be nominating speeches for each of the three candidates by their peers, then speeches from the candidates themselves, then the vote

Senior reporter @mdoukmas.bsky.social is outside the room where Cook County judges are gathering this afternoon to elect the county's chief judge. Follow along! 🧵

Today at 3 p.m., Cook County’s 263 circuit judges will gather to vote for the next chief judge. Incumbent Timothy Evans — already the longest-serving chief judge in county history — is seeking a 9th term.

Reporter Kelly Garcia is attending the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Advisory Board meeting this afternoon. Follow along 🧵

Senior reporter @mdoukmas.bsky.social received the September Sidney Award from the Sidney Hillman Foundation @sidneyhillman.bsky.social. The monthly award honors outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustice. Congratulations, Maya! 🏆

Congratulations to @mdoukmas.bsky.social of @injusticewatch.org on winning the September Sidney for her innovative and engaging exposé of forensic junk science in Chicago:

For nearly a quarter century, Timothy Evans has served as chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. The role involves controlling a $368 million budget. Tomorrow, the county’s circuit court judges will vote on whether he will serve a record ninth term. www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

ICYMI: The head of Cook County's long-troubled juvenile jail is rarely seen at the facility and lives in Michigan, according to property tax and voting records reviewed by @kellygarcia.bsky.social for @injusticewatch.org. www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

Will the man who's led the country's second largest court system for a quarter century be once again chosen for the post on Wednesday? We'll see... It's the most contested election for the post since 2001.

NEW from @injusticewatch.org: There's an election this week for Cook County Chief Judge, one of the most powerful local elected officials. The rub? The only people who can vote are other judges. @mdoukmas.bsky.social previews what's at stake in the race: www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

NEW: Timothy Evans has served as chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County for a record 24 years. On Wednesday, two challengers will vie to unseat him in an election where the only voters are other judges. buff.ly/BdLg3kw

To me the point of this story wasn't just to give an account of this one lab. There are real tangible changes our state can make to our forensic science oversight system and there needs to be political will to take on the Illinois State Police to make them. www.injusticewatch.org/project/fore...

It's been a pleasure to be involved in this important project!! Huge congrats to @amyqin.bsky.social @estheryjkang.bsky.social and the rest of the @wbez.org team and our collaborators at @miurbanchicago.bsky.social The work @writeralejandra.bsky.social and I began with #TheTenantTrap continues!

19 people say they were sexually assaulted under Leonard Dixon – a Chicago superintendent who draws a $280,000 yearly salary and whose public records trail, including voting records, ties him to suburban Detroit. Amazing work here by @kellygarcia.bsky.social: www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

When Cook County sheriff’s deputies burst into 74-year-old Velma Lewis’ home with a battering ram, it wasn’t because she’d committed a crime or had a warrant issued for her arrest. It was because she fell so far behind on her property taxes.

And for folks who want to dig thru public records, here's very helpful FAQ on how to research your building owner/violations from @mdoukmas.bsky.social @writeralejandra.bsky.social @msivit.bsky.social www.injusticewatch.org/civil-courts...

At Cook County’s youth detention center, abuse allegations and claims of mismanagement are rampant. Meanwhile, the head of the facility is rarely seen, according to employees.

🎧 Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova was a guest on a recent episode of the Karma Koala podcast, discussing her investigation of a forensics lab at the University of Illinois Chicago. buff.ly/z43RlMx

Chicago’s juvenile detention center is facing hundreds of abuse allegations. Meanwhile, records and interviews with employees suggest the person running the facility is rarely seen.

"[A]t least 19 former detainees alleged that they were sexually abused at the juvenile detention center while it was under Dixon's leadership." "One longtime current employee told Injustice Watch he's only seen [Superintendent] Dixon twice over the last ten years." #Illinois #USA #Incarceration

There’s more to the story so I encourage you to read it but I invite anyone with information to share about Dixon or even just about their experiences at the juvenile detention center to reach out. You can find me on Signal at @kgarci25 or DM me on here. www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

First, I found he’s been claiming a ‘principal residence exemption’ on a house he’s owned with his wife in a suburb of Detroit for 30 years. When I asked him about it outside a county board meeting, he told me his wife visited the house sporadically, but that “no one is living there permanently.”

Leonard Dixon runs one of the largest youth jails in the country, but records and interviews suggest he might not live in Chicago and is rarely seen at the facility. Here’s what I found in my latest investigation for @injusticewatch.org www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

An intriguing new one from @kellygarcia.bsky.social

NEW: @kellygarcia.bsky.social found numerous records linking Leonard Dixon, who has run the Cook County juvenile jail since 2015, to a suburb of Detroit, where he claims a "principal residence" property tax exemption and has voted consistently since 2012. He also owns several properties in Florida.

NEW: Leonard Dixon is the head of Cook County’s youth detention center, one of the largest youth jails in the nation. Current and former employees say he’s rarely seen at the facility.

🎧 Last week, senior reporter Maya Dukmasova was a guest on City Cast Chicago discussing her latest investigation. Listen to the episode here:

Illinois and Chicago have some of the nation’s strongest laws aimed at protecting immigrants by prohibiting state and local agencies from cooperating with ICE. But Valentina Galvis' detention at a Sonesta hotel shows the limits of the state’s efforts to block ICE detention.

“After cannabis was added to the DUI law, the lab’s invoicing for cannabis testing skyrocketed.” Invoicing taxpayers, essentially.

Today's @injusticewatch.org newsletter has an interview by @msivit.bsky.social with @veromartinezart.bsky.social about the inspirations and ideas behind her mural, the visual centerpiece of our office. Check it out! www.injusticewatch.org/subscribe/