If you’ve followed Injustice Watch for a while, you know Verónica Martinez’s work. Her mural in our office is her most time-intensive project for us to date. Her sources of inspiration ranged from Carl Sandburg to Diego Rivera.https://buff.ly/tQoxZHK

Prosecutors took that stance despite the fact that the witnesses in his case all recanted. Jackson applied and was rejected twice by the Cook County Conviction Integrity Unit before he learned the group included the wife of the cop who built case, Brian Forberg.

For 10 years, we’ve told human-centered stories about the local court system and held powerful institutions accountable. Join us for a fundraiser to fuel our next decade of public service journalism.

In delivering his verdict, which lasted only a few minutes, Cook County Circuit Judge Kenneth J. Wadas said the state had not met its burden of proof. “I don’t even think it’s close,” he said.

Prosecutors urged Judge Wadas to remember that both Walker and Collins were significantly bigger than the boy, who stood at just 5 feet 5 inches and weighed just 120 pounds to Walker’s 190 pounds and 6-foot-1-inch stature.

Experts say the verdict could have a chilling effect on how allegations of abuse are handled by the detention center, which they say already lacks meaningful oversight and transparency.

"[V]erdict could have a chilling effect on how allegations of abuse are handled by the detention center." "[F]ollows [an ongoing] class-action lawsuit filed last year by more than 300 former detainees who claimed they were sexually and physically abused." #Illinois #USA #Incarceration #Courts

Courtroom illustrations for @injusticewatch.org Shoutout to my mentor Lou Chukman for coming with. He said my sketches are VERY OK and you know what, coming from him, I’ll take it. 🤍 Read about this trial at injusticewatch.org #courtroomsketch #courtroomart #illustration #localjournalism

Either way, I left the trial with more questions than before. One question I’ve gotten from a few readers is about Walker’s body-cam. During Collins’ testimony, we learned Rovers have had body cams for 7-8 years now and are required to have them on.

The Chief Judge’s office still hasn’t released Walker’s personnel file including any disciplinary records. It’s not clear if prosecutors had his personnel file either and/or if they were able to introduce it into evidence.

Perhaps the thing that struck me the most about the trial was how prosecutors failed to mention anything about Walker’s history at the detention center. We know he was first hired to work there in 1996 and that he’s been accused of harming children at the facility on at least five prior occasions.

We filed new FOIA requests through the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for the video footage. I also requested those additional police reports we were barred from getting by the judge before the trial.

The surveillance footage included no audio. It had a bird’s eye view of the incident, but it was hard to see past the Rovers blocking the entrance to the cell. Prosecutors argued that in the video you can see the boy sliding across the floor, but it’s hard to say without a closer view.

During the trial, which ended in Walker’s acquittal, prosecutors presented video footage from one of the surveillance cameras in the holding pod and a body-worn camera from Michael Collins, the other ‘Rover’ who responded to the incident. Neither provided a clear depiction of what happened.

“I don’t even think it’s close,” said Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Wadas during the 2.5 hour long criminal trial of a former youth jail employee accused of throwing a 15-year-old handcuffed boy to the ground, leaving him unconscious. www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

Appreciate the coverage provided by @injusticewatch.org on this case and issue. While this particular case ended in acquittal the very fact that it happened at all will hopefully set a precedent for establishing norms of accountability in juvenile justice.

A Cook County judge acquitted a former juvenile jail guard in a trial that lasted just 2.5 hours. “I don’t even think it’s close,” the judge said, about whether the state had met its burden of proof. The case involved a 2024 incident that left a 15-year-old unconscious and bruised.

NEW: On Friday, a judge found a former Cook County youth jail employee not guilty on charges related to an incident that left a boy unconscious. The verdict highlights the challenges of holding detention center staff accountable for alleged abuse, advocates say. buff.ly/Isrf22P

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Kevin Walker was acquitted on charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct today. In handing down the verdict, Judge Kenneth Wadas said the state didn’t meet its burden. Story tk.

BREAKING: Former Cook County juvenile jail employee Kevin Walker was found not guilty of aggravated battery and official misconduct Friday after a short bench trial before Judge Kenneth Wadas. Story to come.

The Kevin Walker trial has begun. Reporter Kelly Garcia is attending the trial and will provide updates during breaks. Cameras aren't allowed in court, but visual reporter Verónica Martinez is also present creating court sketches.

Our team was torn between wanting to decorate our office pumpkin as a judge and as a Labubu. We split the difference with Judge LaBooBoo. Happy Halloween from us 👻

Update: Due to a scheduling issue, trial was postponed to tomorrow at 10 am. Keep checking back for updates. @injusticewatch.org

Update: Kevin Walker’s trial has been postponed until Friday, Oct. 31.

Reporter Kelly Garcia will be covering today's trial from the courthouse. Stay tuned for updates.

Kevin Walker’s trial is significant because it’s the first time in more than a decade that a current or former youth detention center employee has been criminally charged with hurting a young person at the Chicago facility. Read the full story here: buff.ly/u7AbJp1

And if you have any questions/comments/tips, please reach out. I'm also on signal! kgarci25.49

The trial will take place in courtroom 502 at the Criminal Courthouse on 26/Cal. It's scheduled for 9 a.m. but it may not start on time. I'll come back tomorrow to share updates. But in the meantime, read our story for what to expect: www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

Tomorrow's trial will hopefully shed some light on that. Prosecutors will also likely introduce video footage of the alleged incident from a surveillance camera and a body-worn camera from the other Rover.

I was also able to obtain some records that give us a glimpse into Walker's history at the JTDC, but without a personnel file we don't know if he's ever been disciplined prior to the alleged incident he's being tried for. The Chief Judge's office wouldn't provide it despite multiple requests.

We were also able to get internal reports from the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, which conducts annual inspections of the JTDC. Like us, you may notice that some of the reports conflict with each other AND with the police report. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

As you'll see in our story, we were able to get some records about the alleged incident from other public agencies. Below you'll find the police report which we embedded in the story. CPD denied our request for additional records, citing a judge's order. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

That's why this story matters. Not only is it the first time in more than a decade an employee is facing charges for allegedly harming a child at the JTDC... but it's also the first time the public may finally get to see footage from the surveillance cameras inside.

In Illinois, juvenile detention centers are exempt from FOIA meaning the public can't access employee disciplinary records, confinement data, and policy manuals. As my editor @jonahshai.bsky.social once put it, it's much harder to get information about the youth jail than it is about the adult jail

"[F]irst time in more than a decade that a current or former employee has been criminally charged with hurting a child at [Chicago's juvenile] detention center." "300 former detainees [..] claim they were sexually and physically abused while at the detention center." #Illinois #USA #Incarceration

NEW: For decades, allegations of abuse and misconduct have swirled around Chicago’s juvenile detention center. On Thursday, a Cook County judge will begin proceedings in a rare trial of a former employee accused of physically harming a child at the facility.

Print versions of our toolkit for Chicago renters are now available at every Chicago Public Library branch! Learn how to research building code violations and property ownership in Chicago and Cook County. Look for them in the free resources area near the library entrance.

For last Friday's edition of @injusticewatch.org's newsletter, I wrote about the ban on most print mail in Illinois prisons and spoke with several people about the impact of the new rule. Read the newsletter in full here, and subscribe if you don't already! mailchi.mp/injusticewat...

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The focus of Charles Beach’s campaign was on issues important to judges: personal safety, training and education, and more open communication with the office of the chief judge. He assumes the role of Cook County chief judge Dec. 1.

We mailed a resource guide to more than 4,000 Cook County homeowners who are currently at risk of losing their homes through Illinois’ property tax sale system — considered by experts to be the “most abusive” in the nation. This wouldn't have been possible without your support. Thank you.

Records indicate a UIC forensics lab was for years unable to differentiate between legal and illegal types of THC in people’s body fluids. We also found university officials were focused on the lab’s financial performance, and not on the quality of its scientific work. buff.ly/eGoiDMD

Take our survey and enter the raffle today — the sooner you enter, the more chances you have to win! We're giving away a $100 Visa gift card and a custom illustrated portrait to two lucky winners every Thursday. buff.ly/1jiqR23

🎧 Tune in to @pdefenselesspod.bsky.social to hear senior reporter @danhinkel.bsky.social discuss his latest investigation of the Cook County Conviction Integrity Unit. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/4...

Yesterday, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans issued an order barring immigration agents from arresting people at or near county courthouses without warrants. The order does not apply to Chicago Immigration Court, which is a federal facility.

Your feedback on this survey will help us better understand what you're looking for from our work and how we can make our investigations, newsletter, and any future projects as useful to you as they can be. buff.ly/aVCKvno

Thanks to @wgnradio.bsky.social for having me on to discuss my story on Eileen O’Neill Burke weakening the the review of innocence claims. www.injusticewatch.org/project/deny...

🎧 Senior reporter Dan Hinkel is a guest on today's episode of Outside the Loop Radio discussing his latest investigation.