In case you missed it, down below is a story I put out early this year on the many people denied by the Cook County Conviction Integrity Unit. You can also read my follow-up on State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke further weakening her office's system to figure out who they've wrongfully convicted.

Despite its celebrated record of exonerating more people than any comparable unit nationwide, we found 21 people who were denied relief by the Cook County Conviction Integrity Unit before flawed evidence later led to their exonerations.

Interesting 180° difference in how the Illinois AG handles wage theft versus, say, “organized retail theft,” which includes a multi-agency “task force,” $5 million per year to cops for spy tools, a PR machine, & tons of low-level arrests for property crimes, while biz owners stiff workers & walk.

We observed lawyers from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office who showed up to wage theft court hearings unprepared. Since 1993, more than 300 cases were initially dismissed because no one from the Attorney General’s Office showed up at all. (with @crainschicago.bsky.social) buff.ly/WJHXcax

Injustice Watch’s weekly newsletter is an easy way to stay up to date on issues of equity and justice in the Cook County court system. Subscribe ➡️ buff.ly/pYvnM5X

What happens when employers refuse to pay workers? To answer that question, we looked at 3,000+ lawsuits filed in Cook County against employers accused of stealing wages. Despite the state's strong laws, workers wait years for payday. Some never see a penny. www.injusticewatch.org/project/wait...

“This is the saddest part about being an immigrant — that one strives to do the best job you can … and then we don’t get paid,” the worker said in between sobs. Gut-wrenching new investigation from @writeralejandra.bsky.social Wage theft in Illinois is rampant www.injusticewatch.org/project/wait...

Stuntin’ on that voting booth next 🧦 @injusticewatch.org

Illinois determined their wages were stolen. For hundreds of Cook County workers, it can take years to receive the payment they’re owed. buff.ly/WJHXcax

“The problem is the system itself,” said Jorge Mújica, an organizer with Arise Chicago who has advocated for workers’ rights for more than 50 years. “The state has created a system that’s not user-friendly.” (with @crainschicago.bsky.social)

🎁 Still need to get us a 10th birthday gift? We have the perfect gift idea for you: Donate to support our work — including our judicial election guides. If you give $10 or more today, we’ll send you a print zine to say thanks. buff.ly/tK5Ga4W

Our 12-page zine tells the story of how our judicial election guide has grown over the past decade. Donate $10 or more today and we’ll send you a copy as a thank you. givebutter.com/lasDtm

We made a print zine! 📔 Donate $10 or more today and get a copy. buff.ly/tK5Ga4W

Senior reporter @writeralejandra.bsky.social analyzed more than 3,000 wage theft cases filed in Cook County by the attorney general since 1993 and found workers wait, on average, about five years for their cases to be settled or dismissed. (with @crainschicago.bsky.social)

So cool to see our investigation on @crainschicago.bsky.social's front page today: @injusticewatch.org www.chicagobusiness.com

NEW from us and @crainschicago.bsky.social: Hundreds of Cook County workers have waited years to recover stolen wages — even after the Illinois Department of Labor ruled they were owed money. buff.ly/WJHXcax

Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova is a guest on the Ben Joravsky Show discussing her profile of former Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans and where his legacy leaves the courts. buff.ly/vgM15Wr

📻 Senior reporter Carlos Ballesteros will be a guest on the David Seaton Show on WVON 1690 today at 3:30 p.m. He'll be discussing the recent ruling by a federal judge who found Illinois illegally stripped homeowners of their equity. Tune in: buff.ly/tarWIaW

ICYM the Cook County court Friday night news dump: at the end of his first week in office Chief Judge Beach axed three presiding judges:

The situation at 7500 s South Shore, the building raided by ICE, is really an illustration of our broken building code enforcement system that @writeralejandra.bsky.social and I extensively documented in The Tenant Trap: www.injusticewatch.org/project/tena... Here's why:

Just a reminder that we're still accepting any and all tips regarding the people running for judge in Cook County in the March primary! Take a look at the names here and share anything you'd like us to know. Responses are confidential! airtable.com/appG8uZvhvgY...

Cook County has a new chief judge for the first time in 24 years. How much do you know about what the person in that role oversees? This graphic from visual reporter Verónica Martinez breaks it down.

Thanks so much to everyone who celebrated Injustice Watch's 10th birthday with bowling, magic, and more. It meant the world that so many people braved the cold to spend the evening with us. Cheers to the next decade of impactful investigative journalism 🥂

@injusticewatch.org is out with an encyclopedic take by @mdoukmas.bsky.social on Timothy Evans, low-key one of the most consequential Chicagoans of the last 50 years.

All manner of interesting and fun stuff in today's @injusticewatch.org newsletter including my recommendations for seasonal horror movies. I personally do not condone the Chicago Bears but @kellygarcia.bsky.social has a recommendation if they're your thing. www.injusticewatch.org/subscribe/

Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova spent months interviewing dozens of people to learn what Timothy Evans, Cook County’s outgoing chief judge, will be remembered for. (with @chicagomag.com) buff.ly/I8R6R5I

in this week's make it make sense, the @chicagoreader.com's weekly news roundup: 1/ cook county swears in the first new chief judge in a quarter century. i write that charles s. beach takes over at Beach takes over at a pivotal moment for the cook county judiciary.

Timothy Evans’ leadership style as chief judge of Cook County was lauded by some as thoughtful and considered, and criticized by others as hands-off and reactive. (with @chicagomag.com) buff.ly/I8R6R5I

🚨 There are less than 3 hours left of #GivingNewsDay, and we're about $600 away from our fundraising goal. Can you chip in? Every donation today is being matched, and gifts of $50 or more come with your choice of Injustice Watch merch. buff.ly/5VFbgqa

Last chance! ⚠️ Donate $50 or more to Injustice Watch today, we’ll send you a merch item of your choice as a thank you. Support our investigations and the next judicial election guide. buff.ly/5VFbgqa

I know you want an IW mug and some warm socks. Also, they are great gifts for fellow Chicagoans who love our work. ❤️🧑‍⚖️

We’re hard at work preparing our next judicial election guide. If you’re among the hundreds of thousands of people who have used our guides in the past, please consider making a donation to Injustice Watch before the end of the day. buff.ly/5VFbgqa

It's #GivingTuesday and if you are in Cook County, Illinois and have the resources, a donation to @injusticewatch.org will help support the work they do on our behalf everyday (personally, could never make it through the county judicial ballots without their excellent research)

Our work relies on the support of readers. Our small but mighty team has a ton of important stories in the works for the coming year. We truly appreciate your support! Thank you! Donate here: www.injusticewatch.org/donate/

3. This week we're celebrating 10 years of investigative reporting that has sparked policy reforms, prompted official investigations, generated community action, and led to meaningful changes in the lives of people we’ve covered. (Join us for our birthday party! 🎂) www.eventbrite.com/e/injustice-...

2. Our judicial election guides are an indispensable tool for voters who want to be informed when they go to the polls. We're hard at work on our next guide (for the March 17, 2026 primary election) — but our guides take an immense about of work and resources. www.injusticewatch.org/topics/judge...

1. We're the only news organization in Chicago focused exclusively on the court system. We publish stories you won't find anywhere else, like @mdoukmas.bsky.social's profile yesterday of longtime chief judge Tim Evans: www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

I know you're getting a lot of appeals today for #GivingTuesday. Let me make a quick case for why you should support @injusticewatch.org on this #GivingNewsDay. A short 🧵: www.injusticewatch.org/donate/

It's #GivingNewsDay and it's the perfect day to send some of your coins to @injusticewatch.org! Support our trailblazing journalism about your local courts, we are the only news org in Chicago dedicated to investigative reporting about the judicial branch of government! www.injusticewatch.org/donate

All donations to Injustice Watch today will be matched, and if you donate $50 or more, we’ll send you a merch item of your choice as a thank you! buff.ly/5VFbgqa

A few months ago we sent a resource guide to 5,000 homeowners at risk of losing their homes to property tax foreclosure. Several wrote back saying they had no idea they were behind on taxes. That’s just one of several mailings we’ve done this year — your support lets us continue outreach like this.

This story by @mdoukmas.bsky.social is not only a deeply reported, behind-the-scenes look at the man who’s steered Cook County’s courts for the last quarter century — it’s also a master class in profile writing. Make time to read it!

Tim Evans is Cook County’s longest-serving chief judge—and one of its most storied politicians. As he leaves office today after 24 years, @mdoukmas.bsky.social looks back on his legacy and the mark he left on the nation’s second-largest court system. www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

To learn more about the court he’s inheriting and the man who’s shaped it for the past quarter-century, check out @mdoukmas.bsky.social’s latest: www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

Every donation received today will help Injustice Watch continue to produce impactful investigative journalism that holds power to account and has a real impact on our community. buff.ly/5VFbgqa

Timothy Evans, Cook County’s longest-serving chief judge, is also among its most storied politicians. As he leaves office after 24 years, where does his tenure leave the courts? [In collaboration with @injusticewatch.org ] www.chicagomag.com/news/timothy...

If you live in the Chicago area, the chief judge of Cook County might be the most consequential local official you've never heard of. The position has been held by one man — Timothy Evans — for the past 24 years. Read the latest from us and @chicagomag.com: buff.ly/I8R6R5I

This one goes out to my friend and former colleague Ben Joravsky, who taught me most of what I know about Chicago politics. And to all the @injusticewatch.org fans who read us to understand our courts. I've been waiting to write this story for almost a decade! www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

NEW from us and @chicagomag.com: When Timothy Evans was elected chief judge in 2001, he declared his political days were behind him. But Evans — who leaves office today — persevered in part because he was a savvy politician. buff.ly/I8R6R5I