Prosecutors and Politics

The United States is the only country in the world that lets voters decide who will be their prosecutors. For the most part, those elections are foregone conclusions. Prosecutors run for election unopposed 85% of the time. The incumbent wins the election 95% of the time. But what happens when the voters buck this system… Read More

The Unbridled Power of the Prosecutor

  The prosecutor is one of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. Should the cop who gunned down that black child for no reason and then lied about it in his police reports be prosecuted for murder? It’s the prosecutor’s decision. The number of women in prison jumped 646% between 1980 and… Read More

Cook County State’s Attorney Sued for Hiding Details of Controversial Surveillance Activities

While prosecutors are largely shielded from suits, the Supreme Court has ruled they can’t dodge FOIA responsibilities CHICAGO – Against a backdrop of growing scrutiny into police surveillance nationwide, the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez was sued today for refusing to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking for… Read More

CPD Hit For Hiding Records About Officers Engaged in Perjury and Other Misconduct

States Attorney Alvarez Shields Dirty Cops From Prosecution, Says Suit CHICAGO – A civil rights attorney here filed suit against the Chicago Police Department today for stonewalling his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests aimed at gathering more evidence about lying while under oath by two police officers, Allyson Bogdalek and Dominick Catinella. “The public… Read More