W.J. Kennedy Stories | Chicago City Wire

City’s decline in murder rate is little reason to celebrate: Wirepoints

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 17, 2024

Chicago’s progressive leaders and the media are celebrating a drop in the city’s murder rate over the past year.

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Is Burke’s move to expand detentions to violators of assault weapons ban act a PR stunt?

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 17, 2024

In her first move as Cook County State’s Attorney, Eileen O’Neill Burke said she would seek detention for violations of the Illinois PICA Act, the two-year-old law that banned so-called assault weapons and other firearms and magazines—a law that a federal judge in downstate Illinois judge recently ruled unconstitutional.

Bring federal power to bear on 'criminals-over-victims perversion' in Chicago, says 'Crooked City' author

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 16, 2024

Trump’s announcement that he will pick former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General could be just what Chicago needs to reverse some of the wreckage done by the anti-police radicalism among the city’s top officials, wrote former Chicago FOP spokesman, Martin Preib, in his column “Crooked City.”

Federal judge refuses to set trial date in notorious wrongful conviction cases of Solache and DeLeon-Reyes

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 16, 2024

A federal judge has rejected a motion by plaintiffs Gabriel Solache and Arturo DeLeon-Reyes to set a trial date in their controversial wrongful conviction lawsuits.

Exonerated by Kim Foxx, convicted murderer gets twelve years for a home invasion

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 15, 2024

One of the hundreds of convicted murderers exonerated by former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx o

Judge to rule mid-January on Cook County criminal case that 'could put a target on the back of prosecutors'

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 15, 2024

In a ruling that could set a frightening precedent for prosecutors, Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes is expected to decide on criminal charges against former Cook County assistant state’s attorneys Nick Trutenko and Andrew Horvat by mid-January.

Federal judge rules against re-deposition of convicted murderer Jose Cruz in his wrongful conviction lawsuit

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 9, 2024

U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes rejected a motion by defense attorneys to re-depose convicted murderer Jose Cruz in his wrongful conviction lawsuit brought after former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx exonerated him in 2022 of a 1993 gang-related murder.

Solache and DeLeon-Reyes face setback in wrongful conviction lawsuits after key deposition

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 5, 2024

A deposition has complicated the wrongful conviction lawsuits filed by Gabriel Solache and Arturo DeLeon-Reyes, who were exonerated in 2017 after being wrongfully convicted of a 1998 double homicide.

Claims by plaintiff lawyers that cops, prosecutors conspire to convict innocent undermined by low clearance numbers

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 25, 2024

If the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office conspires with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to win convictions —as some convicted murderers and their lawyers have alleged in civil rights cases — then they are doing a lousy job of it.

Federal judge sides with brothers convicted of murder, exonerated by Kim Foxx in wrongful conviction case

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 24, 2024

In a wrongful conviction lawsuit, a federal judge rejected a motion by attorneys for retired Chicago police detectives and the city of Chicago

Advocate for victims of illegal alien crime: Sanctuary laws can't stop ICE enforcement but makes deportation more difficult, expensive

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 24, 2024

There is little legal recourse for sanctuary jurisdictions to prevent President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, from sending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in to capture and deport illegal aliens, Don Rosenberg, president of Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime (AVIAC), told Chicago City Wire.

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Capital Research Center study: Anti-police and anti-Israel movements have much in common

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 16, 2024

Former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas recently called out Mayor Brandon Johnson

Judge considering motion to dismiss in criminal trial of former assistant Cook County state’s attorney, Nick Trutenko

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 15, 2024

The prosecution rested its case against Nick Trutenko and another former assistant state’s attorney on Nov. 14, and defense attorneys immediately filed a motion and argued for the dismissal of all charges.

Kevin Jackson's exoneration paves way for new lawsuits against Chicago police

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 10, 2024

The recent release of convicted murderer Kevin Jackson from prison could set a precedent for a new category of lawsuits against Chicago police for wrongful conviction.

Prosecution’s case against former Cook County prosecutor who convicted twice-convicted cop killer nearing end

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 10, 2024

A special prosecutor’s controversial criminal case against former Cook County assistant state’s attorney Nick Trutenko, who in 1989 successfully prosecuted Jackie Wilson for the 1982 murder of a Chicago police officer, is coming to a close.

County settles yet another State's Attorney exoneration case for millions

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 4, 2024

Cook County has agreed to settle a wrongful conviction lawsuit brought by Robert Bouto, who spent 23 years in prison for the 1993 murder of a 15-year-old on the Northwest Side. At $3.1 million, the settlement is expected to be only a fraction of a possible impending settlement with the city of Chicago.

A Burke or Fioretti win expected to bring Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office back to adhering to rule of law

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 31, 2024

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) went off script with Kim Foxx over her eight years in office exonerating scores of convicted murders on questionable claims of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

Convicted cop killer will soon be a free man, victim's family cast aside

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 8, 2024

Chicago’s police union, FOP Lodge 7, is intervening in case of convicted cop killer to prevent yet another of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s controversial exonerations.

Deposition of Kim Foxx critical in Jose Cruz wrongful conviction case, defense attorneys tell federal judge

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 1, 2024

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx should be required to explain in a deposition why she exonerated Jose Cruz of the 1993 murder of a 16-year-old Antwane Douglas, attorneys for police defendants argue in Cruz’s wrongful conviction case in federal court.

Lawyers spar over testing of police documents in Jose Cruz wrongful conviction case

By W.J. Kennedy | Sep 29, 2024

Lawyers defending the city in the Jose Cruz wrongful conviction case have asked a federal judge to delay the testing of samples from the 1993 General Offense Case Report of the murder of a 16-year-old Antwane Douglas at North and Kedzie Avenues. Additionally, the city's defense is asking for the judge to arrange a time when both legal teams' experts can be present at the testing.

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