Issues & Case Updates

Brian Jacob Church, Jared Chase and Brent Betterly, referred to by the media and their supporters as the “NATO 3” appeared today in Cook County Criminal Court. The three activists were arrested as part of a midnight raid days before the NATO Summit and were subsequently charged with terrorism-related charges. People’s Law Office attorneys Michael Deutsch and Sarah Gelsomino represent

Chicago City Council Approves Settlement in Vodak v. City of Chicago, class action from 2003 arrests at anti-war protest Earlier this week, we announced that the settlement of the Vodak class action lawsuit over the mass arrests at the March 20, 2003 demonstration to protest the Iraq war was approved by the Chicago City Council Finance Committee.  It then proceeded

PRESS RELEASE June 7, 2012 Attorneys from People’s Law Office File Civil Rights Lawsuit on Behalf of Family of Woman Who Died In Lake County Jail Woman dies in custody due to deliberate indifference to her health and safety, her estate files lawsuit on her behalf Lyvita Gomes, a 52 year old woman from India, tragically died on January 3,

Vodak Class Action Settlement Approved by Chicago City Council Finance Committee The Settlement of the Vodak class action lawsuit over the mass arrests at the March 20, 2003 demonstration to protest the Iraq war was approved by the Chicago City Council Finance Committee on June 4, 2012. The settlement will now go before the full City Council on June 6

The Case of CeCe McDonald and Self-Defense Against Homophobic, Transphobic and Racist Attacks On June 5, 2011, Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald, an African American transgender woman, was assaulted by Dean Schmitz, a white heterosexual man, and his friends in a violent, racist, and transphobic attack. In the face of extreme violence causing her serious physical injury, CeCe defended herself. The Hennepin

June is Torture Awareness Month The People’s Law Office joins the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and their partner organizations in their campaign during Torture Awareness Month to continue its efforts to “confront the culture of torture” in the United States. As NRCAT writes on its website nrcat.org. Torture has taken root in American culture and in Americans’ moral

People’s Law Office Lawyers Win Resounding Appellate Victory in Randy Steidl Wrongful Conviction Case On May 30, 2012, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in a powerful decision written by Judge Diane Wood, and joined by Judge Joel Flaum, a former federal prosecutor, and Judge Michael Kanne, a former City Attorney, denied immunity to police officers from downstate Paris Illinois,

Last week, Chicago hosted the NATO Summit, which brought foreign heads of state and military generals to our city. It also brought thousands of demonstrators into the streets in opposition to NATO’s policies of war and the economic policies of many of the member countries of NATO. During the summit, People’s Law Office was active in providing legal support to

My Kind of Town: A Compelling Play about Chicago Police Torture A Review by Flint Taylor of People’s Law Office On May 11, 2012, My Kind of Town, a compelling play about Chicago police torture that was written by award winning investigative journalist John Conroy and directed by Nick Bowling, opened at the TimeLine Theatre in Chicago. Conroy, who has

People’s Law Office client Michael Tillman recently settled his civil rights case against Cook County.  Tillman’s orture and wrongful conviction case continues against Burge, Daley and the City of Chicago. Tillman was arrested for murder in July of 1986 and tortured by two teams of Area 2 detectives working at the direction of Lt. Jon Burge and his “right hand