Judge Kendall sided with prosecutors, who blasted the request for a postponement as a “last-ditch effort” by Burke to avoid being sentenced on Monday for racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion.
Stories by Heather Cherone
Reject ‘Last-Ditch’ Effort by Ex-Ald. Ed Burke to Delay Sentencing, Feds Urge Judge
“The public, as well as the victims in this case, have a strong interest in finality and bringing the case to a close,” prosecutors wrote. “Unfounded, eleventh-hour requests for delay like this one contribute to a general sense that the wheels of justice turn too slowly.”
Don’t Expand Chicago Police Department Consent Decree to Include Traffic Stops, Progressive Alderpeople Urge Judge
A court order requiring the Chicago Police Department to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers should not be expanded to include traffic stops, eight alderpeople told the federal judge overseeing the push to reform the department.
Task Force Formed by Johnson Set to Renew Push for Reparations in Chicago
The renewed effort is finally getting off the ground more than six months after Johnson agreed to earmark $500,000 in the city’s 2024 budget for the task force, the first time city officials have promised to use taxpayer dollars to do more than just promise to talk about what Chicago owes its Black residents as a result of the legacy of slavery and segregation.
Cook County Facing $218M Budget Gap in 2025: Officials
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office is scheduled to release a detailed proposal to close the gap in October, but officials have no plans to hike taxes, cut services or layoff workers to cover the projected gap, a spokesperson told WTTW News.
Ethics Committee Chair Pushes Call for Public Financing for City Council Elections Into City Hall Spotlight
Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward) said the plan, which is estimated to cost approximately $9.5 million per election, was designed to reduce the influence of “big special interest donors.”
City Council Votes to Pay $50M to 4 Men Who Each Spent Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Double Murder They Didn’t Commit
The proposed settlement calls for taxpayers to pay $21 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $29 million.
Johnson Defends Decision to Begin Evicting Migrant Families With Children From City Shelters
“We are still living up to our values,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We are providing care in a way that nowhere else in the country you’re seeing.”
Send Ex-Ald. Ed Burke to Prison for 10 Years for ‘Multiyear Crime Spree,’ Prosecutors Urge Judge
Despite having a net worth of $30 million, now former Ald. Ed Burke was “steeped in corruption,” repeatedly choosing “spite and greed – not the public interest,” prosecutors told U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall.
Number of Unhoused Chicagoans Tripled Amid Surge of Migrants, Survey Found
“We aren’t rising to the occasion,” said Doug Schenkelberg, executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. He called the survey results “disheartening but not surprising.”
More Than Half of Migrants Forced to Leave City Shelters Immediately Returned, Chicago Officials Say
The acknowledgement that approximately 500 people returned to city shelters after living there for at least two months raises new questions about plans by officials to start evicting families with school-age children from city shelters on Monday.
Pay $5.8M to Settle Lawsuit Alleging Rampant Racism and Sexism at Water Department, City Lawyers Recommend
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly ruled there was enough evidence for a jury to conclude “that the city had a custom or policy of condoning racial harassment and discrimination at (the Water Department) as well as inaction in the face of a risk of potential constitutional violations.”
City Council Set to Fill Vacant Seats on Ethics Board After Months of Delays
The Chicago City Council is poised to fill two long-vacant seats on the city's Board of Ethics after Mayor Brandon Johnson faced months of criticism from good-government advocates.
Key City Panel Advances Plan to Ban Lobbyists From Giving Campaign Cash to Mayors
The proposal, based on a unanimous recommendation by the Chicago Board of Ethics, now heads to a final vote at the City Council meeting set for June 12.
Pay $2M to Family of Man Killed by CPD Officer in 2014, City Lawyers Recommend
Ronald “Ronnieman” Johnson, 25, was shot and killed by Officer George Hernandez in the early morning hours of Oct. 12, 2014, near 53rd Street and King Drive.
Pay $50M to 4 Men Who Each Spent Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Double Murder They Didn’t Commit, City Lawyers Recommend
The City Council’s Finance Committee is set to consider the proposed settlement, which calls for taxpayers to pay $21 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $29 million.
Lawyers for Ex-Ald. Ed Burke Ask Federal Judge to Toss His Racketeering Conviction
After the three-hour hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall declined to issue a ruling immediately, instead promising a written order “shortly.”
Watchdog Warns of ‘Persistent Concerns’ About CPD’s Plan to Handle DNC Protests
“I am heartened by the progress CPD has made,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said. “I think Chicagoans should be heartened. I think there are persistent concerns. I think there is time to address them.”
Federal Court Monitor: Chicago Police Made ‘Incremental Progress’ in Reform Push
The Chicago Police Department has fully met just 7% of the consent decree’s requirements, according to the most recent report by the team monitoring CPD’s progress.
Johnson’s Plan to Speed Up Efforts to Spend Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Before It’s Too Late Set to Take Center Stage at City Hall
In all, Chicago spent $202 million on a host of programs including affordable housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth job programs and help for unhoused Chicagoans through March 31, records show.
Mayor Brandon Johnson Unveils Plan to Test Whether City Crews Should Clear Sidewalks of Snow and Ice
The “Plow the Sidewalks” campaign sought to convince officials that the city has an obligation to ensure people with disabilities and other vulnerable residents can get around safely even in the worst winter weather.
Chicago City Council Ratchets Up Pressure on Johnson Over Transit Issues
Allies of the mayor used a parliamentary maneuver Wednesday to prevent a vote on the nomination of the Rev. Ira Acree to serve on the board of the Regional Transportation Authority, an acknowledgment they did not have the votes to confirm the politically connected pastor.
City Council Votes 34-14 to Endorse Effort to Overturn Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Decision to Scrap ShotSpotter
The vote represented a significant rebuke of Mayor Brandon Johnson and the central promise of his campaign, which vowed to address the root causes of crime and violence rather than focusing on law enforcement.
As Permanent Chicago Police Board Takes Office, Reform Advocates Push to Expand Its Power With Ballot Measure
Before the newly confirmed members can be sworn in to serve four-year terms on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, reform advocates introduced a proposal to expand the board’s power through a binding ballot measure.
Taxpayers Spend Another $1.3M to Settle Lawsuits Accusing CPD Officers of Misconduct During Protests, Unrest in 2020
In all, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $6.8 million to defend and settle lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct during the protests and unrest during the summer of 2020, according to an analysis by WTTW News.
Chicago Taxpayers to Pay $1.75M to Family of Woman Who Died in Police Holding Cell
Irene Chavez died while in police custody on Dec. 18, 2021. Eleven officers are set to be disciplined for failing to prevent her death, as first reported by WTTW News.
