Injustice Watch

Sheriff Dart’s campaign war chest is increasingly funded by his own employees

Several other Cook County officials refuse to accept donations from their employees, fearing the appearance of pay-to-play ...
injusticewatch

911 calls on South, West Sides ignored while ‘rapid response’ cops make traffic stops instead

Lashonda Tart in front of the 11th District Chicago police station in East Garfield Park. In 2019, Tart called 911 after a shooting, but police never showed up. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago ...
Injustice Watch

Harley Pomper, South Side Weekly

Injustice Watch is the only newsroom in Cook County dedicated to reporting on the court system. Our goal is one of public ...
Injustice Watch

Max Blaisdell, South Side Weekly

Injustice Watch is the only newsroom in Cook County dedicated to reporting on the court system. Our goal is one of public service: to listen to and center people affected by institutional injustices ...
injusticewatch

Where to find the 2026 judicial election guide

Injustice Watch printed 200,000 copies of the judicial voting guide for the upcoming November 3 general election — more than ever before — and is partnering with community organizations, media ...
injusticewatch

This judge up for retention faced a flood of reversals

Each day of the 2017 trial brought troubling news about defense attorney Bernard Shelton Jr.’s health. Before jury selection began, Shelton told Cook County Circuit Judge Ursula Walowski he was ...
injusticewatch

State forensic science commission blasts UIC over rogue crime lab

The Illinois Forensic Science Commission, a public body tasked with monitoring practices at the state’s crime labs, sharply criticized the University of Illinois Chicago in a statement last week for ...
injusticewatch

Property records raise new questions about influential Cook County judge

As the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board investigates powerful Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. for claiming improper property tax exemptions in another county, an Injustice Watch examination ...
injusticewatch

‘Vote “yes” for all of us’: Why Cook County judges run as a ‘class’

Judges up for retention on the November ballot pose for a photo at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church in Washington Park in August. Credit: Tiesha Smith / Facebook On a Sunday in mid-August, more than ...
injusticewatch

Cook County allows tax foreclosures by municipalities. Poor oversight led to misuse by local officials.

Zella Croff, 73, lost her house in south suburban Markham to tax foreclosure in 2023. Credit: Taylor Glascock for the Investigative Project This is a joint project of Injustice Watch and the ...
injusticewatch

Steps Illinois lawmakers could take to reform the state’s tax sale laws

Illinois is the last state in the nation to adopt reforms aimed at giving homeowners their fair share of tax sale proceeds. Credit: Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times The Illinois General Assembly is ...