Stories by Matt Masterson

Teachers at Chicago Public Schools are back in the classroom, preparing for the arrival of students next week. But they still have no contract from the district, even though the district is changing its offer to teachers.

The announcement comes five months after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped criminal charges related to a racist and homophobic attack actor Jussie Smollett allegedly orchestrated.

Judi Brown filed a federal lawsuit this week claiming she was discriminated against and ultimately fired from a Bolingbrook convenience store because of her race and gender identity.

Illinois prisons will soon provide civics and voting rights education workshops to soon-to-be released prisoners. “In Illinois, we understand that every vote matters and every vote counts,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a signing ceremony Wednesday.

Two University of Illinois social workers who once treated the man convicted of kidnapping and killing a visiting Chinese scholar claim they cannot be held legally responsible for his “random and incomprehensible actions.”

A Cook County jury has found Jovan Battle, 32, guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm for the March 23 killing of Chicago Officer John Rivera.

R. Kelly refused transport Thursday to the Leighton Criminal Court Building, where he faces several criminal sexual charges, according to a Cook County prosecutor.

Until this week, 18 documents from the landmark case had remained under seal, even though the former officer was convicted 10 months ago for the murder of Laquan McDonald.

After a night out with friends in River North, off-duty Chicago police Officer John Rivera apparently realized a dangerous situation was unfolding. Moments later, the 23-year-old was fatally shot inside his vehicle.

The first of three men charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Chicago police Officer John Rivera is going to trial this week. Jovan Battle, 32, is acting as his own attorney while facing a first-degree murder charge.

As the Chicago Teachers Union and Board of Education continue to negotiate a new contract, an independent fact-finder recommends a 16% pay raise for Chicago teachers over the life of a five-year deal.

Latricia Brown is seeking damages for what she claims is the wrongful death of her son, 26-year-old Sharell Brown, who was shot and killed in May during an encounter with police.

A new report from a group of UIC students claims at least 450 predominantly international students received incomplete ballots or were erroneously told they were ineligible to vote in April’s student government election.

After killing the Chinese scholar, Brendt Christensen says he put her body in three separate garbage bags, which he tossed in a dumpster outside his Champaign apartment.

Yingying’s Fund, created with the support of Yingying Zhang’s family, will serve international students across campus and their families “during times of hardship, when they need it most,” according to the fund’s donation page.

Chicago community leaders are telling President Donald Trump his words matter, days after a gunman slayed more than 20 people, including many Hispanics, inside a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas.

Calling the allegations against his client “as stale as used gym socks,” the defense attorney for R&B superstar R. Kelly is asking a federal judge to consider letting Kelly walk free from jail as he faces his latest legal battle.

The high-profile case won’t be transferred to another court and the judge handling the proceedings has denied Jussie Smollett’s efforts to get involved.

A new report analyzes the prosecution practices and case settlements under Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Among the findings: The number of sentences involving prison time fell “significantly” in 2018.

The teens were taken into custody and charged with felony counts of aggravated battery and mob action, days after a cellphone video of the incident was uploaded online.

Sheila O’Brien, the retired appellate judge who successfully petitioned for a special prosecutor to review the Jussie Smollett case, says four motions filed last week by the actor’s California-based attorneys should be ignored.

A judge has agreed to make public the details of a plea agreement reached this week between Cook County prosecutors and a former Oxford University staffer who says he’ll testify against an ex-Northwestern University professor at his upcoming murder trial.

More than two years after a grizzly slaying that led authorities on a nationwide manhunt, a former Oxford University staffer has pleaded guilty to murder and agreed to testify against his co-defendant, a former Northwestern University associate professor.

Attorneys for the former “Empire” actor continue to proclaim their client’s innocence, and say a judge’s recent decision to allow a special prosecutor to review criminal charges against the actor is a “travesty of justice.”

A 12-person jury deliberated for more than eight hours over the course of two days in Peoria’s federal courthouse, but failed to reach a unanimous decision in the death-penalty case. 

A 12-person jury is in the process of deciding whether the former Ph.D. candidate will live out the rest of his natural life behind bars or if he’ll be put to death for the kidnapping and killing of Yingying Zhang.