Notoriously slow Cook County courts will begin tracking why cases are delayed – Chicago Tribune*

Cases go slow in Cook County because Chicago has a lot of crime. The courtrooms are always packed with defendants. The police detectives, who put together the case for the State’s Attorney’s office, are overwhelmed themselves, running from case to case to case, as new murders, robberies, rapes and assault files pile up on their desks. They find time to assist the State’s Attorneys when they can and many times that takes half a dozen court appearances, or more. Everyone is incredibly busy, and overwhelmed, and morale is low, so there is little progress.

“Unlike most states, Illinois has no law or judicial rule requiring public access to court data. It’s up to each circuit’s chief judge if he or she will allow its release.”  Hmmm, let’s see. That would be the judges who find it convenient, and ‘judicial’, to prohibit people from taking notes in their courtrooms. While they’re delaying accused murderer’s trials, and putting who-knows-who back on the streets after they’ve been charged with just-about-anything. Likely this will amount to a fart in a skillet, but at least it beats getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick, so we’ll call… Read more »