Our Cook County judicial election guide will be out soon! Let us know if you have ideas for drop-off spots for print copies and perhaps you will see me out front grinning and clutching a pile of papers.

Hey Chicago/Cook County: @injusticewatch.org’s judicial election guide is coming out this week. Want to be the first to know when it’s live? Subscribe now to our newsletter: injusticewatch.org/subscribe

Where should we drop off print copies of our judicial election guide? Send us your suggestions (and volunteer to help distribute them!) using this form ✏️ airtable.com/appRrsHmE9Z3...

🗳️ The primary election is right around the corner. Here are some important dates to be aware of if you’re a voter in Cook County.

📣 Newsletter subscribers will be the first to receive our judicial election guide next week. Sign up: buff.ly/3r1CGuZ

@injusticewatch.org Cook County's Best in CLASS-OF-ITS-OWN public service group keeps a well educated, unblinking & focused EYE on it's Judicial System. More than an election cycle resource; it’s an investigative journal & #template 4 others across the nation. Know yr building. Know yr landlord.

The verdict in the Kevin Walker trial highlights the challenges of holding Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center staff accountable for alleged abuse, advocates say. (Published November 2025)

Illinois has strengthened its labor laws and improved efforts to collect stolen wages. But hundreds of cases linger in Cook County court, leaving workers waiting years to be fully compensated.

A Chicago housing expert shares insights about what to do when your landlord enters your apartment without permission, how to handle retaliation, and more. (Published March 2025)

My goats (a necessity for judicial elections in Cook County!!)

Such an essential publication for anyone in Chicago!

Our next judicial election guide is coming soon, and we need your help to make sure it gets to voters in Cook County. Are you interested in distributing print guides? Do you want to canvass with us — and spread the word about why judicial elections matter? Volunteer here: buff.ly/gRQiNkg

We’re putting the finishing touches on our judicial election guide. Want to be the first to get it? Subscribe to our (free) newsletter for a first look at the guide. buff.ly/0Upa6K8

Former Cook County Circuit Judge James R. Brown was removed from the bench following outcry over statements he made about progressive-led “lawfare” against President Trump, “biological men” in women’s sports, and murders of U.S. citizens by “illegal aliens.” buff.ly/VephHAA

Do you live in Cook County's 1st subcircuit (the purple area on this map)? @injusticewatch.org reporter @kellygarcia.bsky.social is moderating a virtual judicial candidate forum tonight from 6-8pm! Hosted by ACS Chicago Chapter. Register for free here: getinvolved.acslaw.org/component/ev...

Are you an experienced fundraiser who’s highly knowledgeable about and comfortable working with foundations and major donors? Apply to be our next development director! buff.ly/qBOqRtj

Newsletter subscribers will get early access to our Cook County judicial election guide for the March 2026 primary. Sign up (it’s free!) here: buff.ly/0Upa6K8

Next Monday evening, reporter Kelly Garcia will moderate a candidate forum sponsored by the American Constitution Society for Cook County’s 1st Subcircuit. RSVP: buff.ly/wFrL9rx buff.ly/sprm3ag

Chief Judge Charles Beach announced he's putting off a search for a permanent replacement for Leonard Dixon until he hires a director of juvenile services, a new position that will supervise the juvenile detention center superintendent and the chief juvenile probation officer. buff.ly/V46jNZs

Advocates say the delayed release of the report about Leonard Dixon’s residency highlights the lack of transparency in the court system, which, unlike most other public agencies, is not subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

Join our team! We’re seeking an ambitious and thoughtful development director to lead our fundraising efforts. buff.ly/qBOqRtj

📻 Tune in to WCPT 820 AM today at 4 p.m. CT to hear Investigative Project on Race and Equity reporter Emeline Posner discuss their recent reporting for "Taken by Taxes," our joint project on property tax foreclosure in Cook County. buff.ly/KUDMpSt

Judicial appointments/elections are incredibly important and the work that @injusticewatch.org does to highlight this fact is just as important. www.injusticewatch.org/judges/judic...

“I’m glad to see that the Supreme Court has paid attention to this matter and made an appropriate decision and removed Judge Brown from the bench,” said David Melton, the Chicago Council of Lawyer’s acting executive director. buff.ly/VephHAA

An outside investigation into Leonard Dixon, the former head of the Cook County juvenile jail, determined he maintained legal residency in Illinois. The report followed Injustice Watch reporting last year showing Dixon owned property and voted in Michigan. buff.ly/QCIzhJ4

Porter wrote to the Cook Co. Conviction Integrity Unit -- prosecutors tasked with freeing the innocent -- in 2013. They rejected him. 13 years later, a judge tossed his case, and he's free pending retrial. This shares similarities with many cases detailed in my @injusticewatch.org series on the CIU.

We're looking for our next editor in chief. Apply by Jan. 30! buff.ly/gWaFfrT

Judge James R. Brown’s removal, which is effective immediately, comes just days after Injustice Watch published a story about the outcry in response to Brown’s September blog post for John Kass News. buff.ly/VephHAA

"Judge James R. Brown has been removed from the bench weeks after his reinstatement to the court drew objections from two lawyer groups." "[H]e entertained the idea that the 2020 election was stolen, denounced the murders of U.S. citizens by 'illegal aliens.'" #Illinois #USA #Voting #Courts

NEW: The Illinois Supreme Court removed Cook County Circuit Judge James R. Brown from the bench. The justices said Brown’s comments in a September blog post “clearly violate” a rule requiring judges to act in ways that “promote public confidence” in the judiciary. buff.ly/VephHAA

We're still taking applications! Let me know if you have any questions.

The Cook County Bar Association condemned Judge James R. Brown’s statements and said they cast “great doubt whether he can serve impartially without political motives, debunked theories, and other biases against marginalized communities.”

Defense lawyers have demanded an independent investigation into a Chicago detective’s alleged bullying of witnesses and defendants. His late wife was a prosecutor tasked with evaluating innocence claims.

We spoke with legal experts to understand what happens when a child is arrested in Chicago and what protections are in place for children in the juvenile justice system. (Published July 2024)

Cook County lawyers are speaking out about Judge James R. Brown, who authored a guest column last fall in which he decried U.S. citizens being “senselessly murdered by illegal aliens” and parroted far-right conspiracy theories such as “Fauci lies.”

NEW: The Illinois Supreme Court brought Judge James R. Brown back to Cook County to address a judge shortage — but local lawyers say his recent comments in a conservative blog should disqualify him. www.injusticewatch.org/judges/judic...

📻 Tune in to WVON 1690AM today at 10:30 a.m. to hear senior reporter Alejandra Cancino discuss her recent reporting on wage theft in Cook County. buff.ly/2F1O853

[email protected] is out with an excellent new report on Illinois' judicial FOIA exemption and all the information it keeps hidden from the public — plus, the proposed fixes that are currently pending in the state legislature. www.chicagoappleseed.org/2026/01/20/j...

We're taking applications for this position for another couple of weeks! I really can't say enough good things about working at IW, we have incredible benefits and fantastic pay and a really positive and healthy workplace culture. Apply and spread the word!

Illinois isn’t using all the tools at its disposal in court to enforce labor laws. For example, the Attorney General’s Office can ask for an arrest warrant when the employer fails to comply with court orders, but rarely does.

🎉 Senior reporter Aura Bogado was awarded Mission Telecom Giving’s 2025 Vision Prize for Social Impact. The award is given to leaders who demonstrate a relentless commitment to systemic social and racial justice and comes with $50k to sustain future work. missiontelecom.org/giving/visio...

Though he’s no longer Cook County’s chief judge, Timothy Evans hasn’t retired. He continues to work as a judge with the Restorative Justice Community Court program, the creation of which is among his proudest accomplishments.

Ford Heights seized homes from residents who fell behind on property taxes. Then, the former mayor gave those homes away for free to his friends and political supporters. Read the latest in our “Taken by Taxes” series with @raceandequityproject.org.

“You would hope you wouldn’t have to remind your representatives not to use a public program as their personal piggy bank, but apparently it needs to be made clear,” said Alisa Kaplan, executive director of watchdog group Reform for Illinois. (w/ @raceandequityproject.org)

Cook County allows municipalities to seize homes through tax foreclosure to help get them back on the tax rolls. But lax oversight of the program allowed one south suburban mayor to deed the homes to family and political donors. www.injusticewatch.org/project/take...

NEW from us and @raceandequityproject.org: Cook County allows municipalities to seize properties whose owners fall behind on their taxes. One former south suburban official gave the seized homes away to friends, family, and political supporters. buff.ly/VZ9JCNd

Incredible incredible job for a kick ass editor

We’re hiring an editor in chief to execute a strategy for scrutinizing the Cook County court system, provide direction and supervision to our editorial team, and work across departments to maintain a standard of excellence that aligns with our mission. buff.ly/m2ySFTD

Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova will be speaking about her work at the Mouse Arts and Letters Club this Friday evening 📅 mouseartsandletters.org/events/event...

Glad to see a state legislator (Tarver Jr.) is trying to include the judiciary in Illinois' FOIA ilga.gov/Legislation/.... This piece www.injusticewatch.org/archive/2023... from @injusticewatch.org is a great explainer on why this matters.