Press Releases

MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   CHICAGO – Three months into her second term Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced two key leadership roles within her office: Ted Berger, Deputy Chief of Staff; and Lea Gutierrez, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.   “I am excited to bring new perspectives to my leadership team to advance the critical work of this office,” said State’s Attorney Foxx. “Ted Berger and Lea Gutierrez’s dedication to public service and commitment to inclusive policies will serve this administration well as we continue our renewed focus on criminal justice...
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MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   This morning Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s team stood up for nine more victims who were falsely accused—and later convicted—of crimes by corrupt former Chicago Police Sergeant Ronald Watts. Via a Zoom hearing this morning, Cook County Judge Erica Reddick granted the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s (CCSAO) motions to vacate the convictions of nine more Watts victims. The CCSAO continues to review cases related to Watts who has a history of preying on people from struggling Chicago communities and falsely pinning crimes to these...
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MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   While the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) experienced a decrease in overall felony cases called in for review, the number of cases related to violent crime--specifically gun and murder cases--reviewed has increased. When an arrest is made, and if the law enforcement agency decides to charge a felony, the CCSAO’s Felony Review Unit (FRU) must be contacted to review the evidence and decide whether charges can be filed. Exceptions to the Felony Review process include narcotics cases and driving with a revoked/suspended license and which...
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MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   As Bryan Stevenson has said, “Our criminal justice system treats you better if you are rich and guilty than it does if you are innocent and poor.” Eliminating cash bail ends the practice of detaining non-violent offenders simply because they are poor while also preventing violent offenders from being released because they can afford bail. Additionally, this legislation implements increased standards of police accountability and helps to rebuild public trust in the system. I’m grateful for the legislators, advocates and community members who went...
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MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has appointed Alyson Miller as Chief of Staff and Policy, a new hybrid role that combines overseeing the work of the nation’s second-largest prosecutors office while driving a progressive public policy agenda in part of Foxx’s commitment to creating a safer, stronger Cook County.    Miller will assume this newly-created position later this month, when Foxx’s current Chief of Staff, Jennifer Ballard Croft, leaves the office for a role in the private sector. Miller has been with the Cook County State’s...
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MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   “I believe that the spirit of Illinois House Bill 163 is meant to build trust in police departments across Illinois while addressing long-needed problems to alter unfair criminal justice policies rooted in systemic racism that result in our jails and prisons being disproportionately occupied by Black and Brown individuals.  And although not perfect, with thoughtful deliberation and collaboration House Bill 163 can be worked to address concerns, which is why I support this critical piece of criminal justice reform legislation.” 
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MEDIA CONTACT: sao.media@cookcountyil.gov   Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s team formally presented motions to vacate the wrongful convictions of six individuals as part of the office’s ongoing review of the misconduct of corrupt former Chicago Police Sergeant Ronald Watts. Via a Zoom hearing this morning, Cook County Judge Leroy K. Martin, Jr., granted these motions for these six individuals vacating six convictions tied to Watts.  Since State’s Attorney Foxx took office in December 2016, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) has reversed a total of 100 cases involving...
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On the heels of her swearing-in for her second term as Cook County State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx announced key leadership roles within her office: Jennifer Coleman, First Assistant State’s Attorney; Risa Lanier, Chief Deputy State’s Attorney; and Natosha Toller, Chief, Criminal Prosecutions Bureau. A history-making move by Foxx, this is the first time these roles will be simultaneously held by women. “I am excited to have the experience of these veteran prosecutors as a part of my executive leadership team to advance the critical work of this office,” said State’s Attorney Foxx. “Their...
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Cook County’s first Black elected State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx, was sworn in for her second term this morning by The Honorable Sharon Johnson Coleman, United States District Court Judge of the Northern District of Illinois. The ceremony was broadcast virtually from downtown Chicago, where Foxx spoke about the progress she’s brought since she took office in 2016 and addressed her vision for the next four years.  (Photos and remarks linked below) “It is a true honor that Cook Countians have put their faith in me for another four years to lead the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as their...
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CHICAGO, IL—Cook County and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) secured a victory for immigrants today when a federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the Public Charge Rule violated the Administrative Procedures Act and effective immediately bars the Trump Administration from enforcing the Rule across the United States.   In August of 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) redefined “public charge” as “an alien who receives one or more public benefits [...] for more than 12 months, in total, within any 36-month period (such that, for...
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Following months of court closures and delayed proceedings due to COVID-19, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is resuming the work of vacating low-level cannabis convictions. Approximately 300 convictions per week are expected to be vacated this month for non-violent possession of cannabis cases under 30 grams that occurred in Cook County between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019.   “Felony convictions can follow people long after their time has been served and their debt has been paid. As we work to reform the criminal justice system and develop remedies to systemic...
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Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announces four new data projects in her steadfast commitment to transparency as she oversees the second largest prosecutor’s office in the country.   These publicly available projects include:   The CCSAO’s open data now reflects cases through September 29th, 2020, including 415k people, 955k charges, 818k dispositions, 243k sentences and 21.5k diversion programs. This update includes all felony cases brought to the CCSAO this summer in this time of civil unrest during a global pandemic. State’s Attorney Foxx was the first prosecutor’s office to release...
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After an extensive and thorough review of the police-involved shooting resulting in the 2018 death of Jemel Roberson, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) has concluded that the totality of the evidence is insufficient to support criminal charges against Midlothian Police Officer Ian Covey. “While this conclusion may not be the result that many have hoped for, I can assure you that this investigation was conducted with the highest level of scrutiny by prosecutors in my office's Law Enforcement Accountability Division and the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force,”...
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