A new law banning assault weapons is facing an uphill legal battle with scholars hesitant to say it will survive challenges
Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Posted inInvestigations
Life and Death in Chicago’s Most Dangerous Bike Lane
In Chicago’s busiest bike lane along Milwaukee Avenue, there have been 50 reported crashes and three deaths since 2020 as cyclists navigate the city’s patchwork approach to safety.
Posted inInvestigating Responses
Is It Working? Cook County’s Domestic Violence Court Strains to Improve and Expand a Year After a Reckoning
As officials work to overhaul an overloaded and flawed court system, advocates and survivors say the finish line is a long way off.
Posted inInvestigations
New Illinois Law Gives Cops Choice Not To Jail People for Small Amounts of Drugs
The change follows a Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times investigation last year that documented the impact of ‘dead end’ drug arrests in which people are briefly locked up, only to see the charges soon dismissed.
Posted inInvestigations
Days of Blunder: Bike Lane Ticket Bonanza for Drag Racers
Drivers on road nearby quiet city park known for bird watching slammed with hundreds of bike lane infractions
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety, Investigations
Out-of-State Abortions in Illinois Already Breaking Records
Surrounded by states enacting bans or severe restrictions, Illinois is poised to become a place where out-of-state patients and practitioners seek refuge. Politicians and advocates are seeking ways to welcome what they say could be a record-setting demand for the controversial procedure.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
Hundreds More Black Chicagoans Are Pleading Guilty to Gun-Possession Charges. Here’s One Possible Reason Why.
As Chicago police have made more gun-possession arrests, prosecutors are using the secretive grand jury process and securing more convictions.
Posted inInvestigations
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Claims Chicago’s ’Tougher’ Gun Laws Fail To Prevent Gun Violence
Chicago is frequently targeted as a city with ineffective, strict gun laws. While the city has a history of implementing tougher laws in comparison to other cities, a Supreme Court decision drastically loosened some restrictions.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
Former Police Superintendent Accused of Lying in Murder Case
A man exonerated after 33 years in prison for double murder says records prove then-Lt. Philip Cline lied to jurors during his trial about taking his confession in 1987. He is suing the city.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
COVID-19 Again Hits Illinois Prisons, Exacerbating Long-Standing Failures in Medical and Mental Health Care
Despite dramatically reduced prison populations, officials continue to face problems containing the virus because of lagging vaccine rates of prison staff.
