A new short film series debuting this week explores the nature of crime, punishment and forgiveness through the voices of Chicagoans impacted by the criminal justice system.

A Cook County judge has rejected a so-called gag order in the case of a mother and daughter who allegedly murdered pregnant teen Marlen Ochoa-Lopez and cut the baby from her womb.

Jury selection will begin Friday in the murder trial of two of three men charged with carrying out the November 2015 attack on Tyshawn Lee, a smart fourth-grader who prosecutors say was killed by gang members to send a message to his father, a purported member of a rival gang.

Latrice Harrell, executive director of The Champion Center for Autism Inc., faces the possibility of decades in prison after allegedly submitting $3 million in fraudulent insurance claims over the course of three years.

Attorneys for the former “Empire” actor claim that simply filing a police report doesn’t typically result in an investigation as extensive as the one Chicago police undertook earlier this year, which cost $130,000.

A judge has set an April 27, 2020 trial date in R. Kelly’s federal case in Chicago that accuses the R&B star of child pornography and obstruction of justice.

Just what is the felony murder law? Critics say it is broad and unjust, especially when it involves juveniles. Proponents say it deters crime. Chicago defense attorney Brandon Brown weighs in.

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.

Chicago’s top cop says a gun offender dashboard will create a “culture of accountability.” But not everyone agrees. Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli explains why she objects to the database.

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.

A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges two security guards who worked at a public high school in suburban Chicago had sex with female students, and the school failed to adequately protect girls from purported predators.

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.”

The 10-minute status hearing Tuesday was the first since the civil case was moved to federal court from state court. The former “Empire” actor didn’t attend the hearing in Chicago.

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.