A huge win for pretrial fairness

On Tuesday, the Illinois Supreme Court issued a strong, clear decision in favor of the Pretrial Fairness Act, rejecting all the constitutional challenges to this landmark law.

We are now making history as we prepare for the end of money bond when the law is implemented on Sept. 18.

This is a victory for the clients we represent, for the communities we serve, for justice and for all of the thousands of advocates, elected officials and public servants who have fought for years to end the deplorable practice of jailing people just because they are poor.

For details please read our statement and watch a recording of the news conference.

We are poised and ready for implementation

Thank you to everyone in our office who worked so hard over the years advocating for this change and thank you also to everyone who has been part of the implementation planning and preparation.

As you are aware, we established our Pretrial Division last year and are fully ready to implement the new pretrial system.

We will be continuing and refreshing training, as well as developing resources, ahead of implementation in September. Watch this newsletter, and the Training page on the Cook County Public Defender Employee Website for updates.

Handling FOIA requests

On Tuesday, July 18, Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr., sent an email to all staff, sharing tips on interacting with members of the public who may seek to film you and/or ask to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in the office.

The full message, along with FAQs about FOIA requests and filming of employees, can be found on our Employee Website here.

A person requesting government documents and records under FOIA does not have to use a special form. However, for the convenience of the public, our office has created a FOIA Request Form that is available on our public website on the FOIA Requests resources page.

For any questions on these topics, please don't hesitate to contact Emily Mallor, our FOIA and Subpoena Response Officer.

We look forward to hearing from you

The All-Staff Quarterly Meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, July 27 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. 

Please submit Questions, Concerns or Feedback by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 24. 

RSVP by Monday for Law Clerk Trial Advocacy Training

Please encourage Law Clerks to attend.

• WHAT: Summer 2023 Law Clerk Trial Advocacy Training
• WHEN: Wednesday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• WHERE: 69 W. Washington, 17th floor
• RSVP: by 5 p.m. Monday, July 24, using this link. 

Motion Monday is this Monday, July 24

• All public defenders are welcome to join.
• 1 p.m., Monday, July 24
• Come to discuss a pending or possible motion, drop some knowledge or just listen in.
• Join via Zoom. Session ID: 2218304300. Password: covidzoom.

One-stop shopping on the Cook County Public Defender Employee Website

Need logos for your email? They are here on our internal website.

Need a form? They are here.

Updated Police Station Representation Unit (Arrest Hotline) forms are here.

Know Your Rights/Arrest Hotline flyers are here.

Specialty Courts flyers and other resources are here.

If you have ideas for other resources that should be on our Employee Website, drop us a line at PDNewsletter@cookcountyil.gov.

Domestic Violence Forum

Thank you to Administrative Assistant Yvonne Johnson, who reached out to Community Engagement and brought information about our office and our work to a Domestic Violence Forum at Pilgrim Baptist Church.

The church community was very receptive to our contributions to this dialogue and our materials were well received. Yvonne reports that the church is interested in continued engagement on these issues.

Are you going to a public event this summer? Take materials from our office to share!

It is very easy to spread the word about the work of our office.

Please use this form let us know when you plan to represent the office in any public event. Use the same form to request Community Engagement "go bags" with wristbands and information flyers. There is also a table and a tablecloth.

Your newsletter editor had plans to go to the Peruvian Festival recently. She asked the organizers for permission to put up a table, picked up materials from Community Engagement, and had a great day telling people about our Arrest Hotline and other services.

It's not too late! Sign up for Fiesta del Sol

Sign up here for a shift on Saturday, July 29 or Sunday, July 30 at the Fiesta del Sol Citizenship and Immigration Expo. We will be providing Know Your Rights information and more.

Please sign up by the end of the day on Monday, July 24. We will be providing a 45-minute Zoom session on Wednesday for all volunteers, to discuss the details.

DLRE is coming soon

Print out flyers about the DLRE in English and Spanish, to hand out to anyone who visits our offices.

📢NOW POSTED: Fall law clerks

Our Fall Law Student Volunteer Internship Program is a great way to ignite a passion for public defense among future lawyers.

Applications for fall 2023 are now open here. The application deadline is July 28.

If you feel inspired, please help spread the word with your law school connections.You can share over Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

External job postings

• Investigator III, applications are due Aug. 9.
• Administrative Assistant II, applications are due July 28.

Internal job opportunities

• Paralegal, internal transfer opportunities for AFSCME 3696 members. Bid forms must be completed and submitted by Aug. 1.
• Administrative Assistant II, internal promotion opportunity for AFSCME 3696 members. Bid forms and applications must be completed and submitted by Aug. 7.
• Investigator III, external job opportunity (internal can still apply) for the Rolling Meadows courthouse. Application deadline is Aug. 9.
• Administrative Assistant IV–Payroll, internal promotion opportunity for AFSCME 3696 members. Deadline for bids and application is Aug. 9.

Please contact Human Resource Specialist Asia Cobb for more information.

Annual progressive activist gathering

Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr., delivered a keynote address on opening night at Netroots Nation '23, the largest progressive activist gathering in the U.S. The convention took place in Chicago on July 13-15.

Sharone spoke about his optimism over the movement to dismantle the link between poverty and incarceration. You can watch his address here.

Netroots Nation is a non-profit organization that provides trainings, resources and connection opportunities to help progressive activists create a more progressive and just world. Its annual convention brings together diverse voices from around the country and beyond.