Cook County Jail Sees Tenth Death from COVID-19
On Sunday, January 17th, Jose Villa died after contracting COVID-19 in Cook County Jail. Mr. Villa, who was 84 years old, tried to have his bail reduced in April 2020, as the jail became one of [...]
Cook County Jail Sees Ninth Death from COVID-19
On December 23, 2020, Theodore Becker died after contracting COVID-19 inside of Cook County Jail. He was 64 years old and, and is now the ninth person to die from COVID-19 while in the custody of [...]
As COVID Rates Rise Again, Lives at Cook County Jail Are at Risk
Today, Cook County begins a stay-at-home advisory, and Illinois’ COVID-19 positivity rate is nearly 15%. Meanwhile, the number of people incarcerated in Cook County Jail has climbed almost back [...]
We Mourn the Loss of James Sonntag’s Life While in Cook County Jail
On September 17, 2020, James Sonntag was found dead in his cell at Cook County Jail. His cause of death is presumed to be suicide. Mr. Sonntag had been in the jail’s custody for only three days [...]
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Sheriff Dart’s Claim that Jail Doesn’t Need COVID-19 Pandemic Oversight
In a landmark ruling today, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals largely sided with plaintiffs in the Mays vs. Dart lawsuit challenging the conditions inside Cook County Jail during the COVID-19 [...]
Major Victory Against Sheriff Dart’s Unlawful Detention Policy in Federal Court of Appeals
Yesterday, on July 23, 2020, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Plaintiffs in the Williams v. Dart class action lawsuit filed in February 2018 by Thedford Garber Law on [...]
Federal Court of Appeals Orders Cook County Sheriff to Continue Most COVID-19 Protections in Cook County Jail
On Monday, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Cook County Sheriff’s Office must continue to adhere to a majority of the lower court’s orders regarding conditions inside [...]
Federal Court Denies Sheriff’s Request to Lift Protections for People Incarcerated in Cook County Jail During COVID-19 Pandemic
Judge denies Sheriff’s request to stay the preliminary injunction, says Sheriff “has not made a ‘strong showing’ of likelihood of success” on appeal. Today, federal judge Matthew Kennelly denied [...]
New Court Filings Reveal That Conditions in Cook County Jail Remain Dire
More than 15 declarations filed in federal court on behalf of people incarcerated in the jail describe unsanitary conditions, a lack of hygiene products, and difficulty social distancing. [...]
Another Life Needlessly Lost to COVID-19 at Cook County Jail
William Sobczyk has become the seventh person to die from COVID-19 while in the custody of Cook County Jail (CCJ). Prior to being hospitalized, Mr. Sobczyk was incarcerated in the Cermak Health [...]