Good morning, Chicago. Here are some top stories to start your day: - An investigation into delays in the Cook County courts - Homeownership rate for single women fell last year - A new record store is coming to South Side Chicago
After someone is charged with murder and their case heads to a courthouse, you might assume it takes about a year — maybe two — to work out whether they are actually guilty.Here, we have a system where delay is the norm. The typical murder case lingers more than four years before reaching resolution. Delays were growing before the pandemic, then got even worse.
Defendants wait years for their days in court. Victims’ families wait years for some type of closure. Taxpayers must spend tens of millions of dollars a year in extra jail costs. This problem isn’t new. For half a century, experts and advocates have been pointing out what’s wrong. At the same time, the problem has never been worse. Judges and lawyers in New York and Los Angeles told us they are surprised at how lengthy Cook County’s delays are. One set of experts said the issue has gotten so out of control that the state should consider a takeover of the Cook County courts.at their most essential function: ensuring fair and timely justice.
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