Alvarez Hopes Focus On Domestic Violence Leads To Better Services For Victims
Cook County's top prosecutor says she hopes the focus on domestic abuse due to problems in the NFL brings changes for victims here, reports WBBM's Nancy Harty.
Watch CBS News
Cook County's top prosecutor says she hopes the focus on domestic abuse due to problems in the NFL brings changes for victims here, reports WBBM's Nancy Harty.
Although numbers are vague, the crime of human trafficking presents a real challenge to law enforcement and welfare agencies, who have teamed up to try to raise awareness of troubled children who end up being manipulated or forced into prostitution.
Cook County prosecutors were taking another step Wednesday toward possibly releasing a man from prison - 15 years after he confessed to two murders.
The letter to Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said the prosecution of Willie Johnson could discourage other people from recanting prior testimony.
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Sheriff Tom Dart have sought alternate arrangements such as home monitoring for inmates charged with non-violent crimes, but Alvarez expressed reservations to a broad-brush approach to releasing such inmates.
The Cook County State's Attorney has been re-evaluating a 1982 murder case to see if the right man is in prison, and WBBM has learned there are developments in the case.
Former Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine has said he doesn't remember one of his top prosecutors raising concerns about the innocence of a man who was freed from death row in 1999, in a case that became a catalyst to end the death penalty in Illinois.
Alstory Simon confessed to the murders of two people, but has since said his confession was coerced.
The Chicago police union has asked the Cook County State's Attorney's office to examine a milestone double murder case, to see if the right man is behind bars.
Opening arguments are set to begin Monday in the trial for two men accused in the 2009 shooting death of Chicago police officer Alejandro Valadez.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez has written a scathing letter to Gov. Pat Quinn, saying the state board that looks into police torture allegations has acted illegally.
Racketeering and conspiracy charges were filed against 23 defendants who are primarily top leaders and members of the Black Souls gang, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said.
Authorities have captured a convicted murderer from Indiana who was mistakenly released from the Cook County Jail earlier this week.
Keith Williams, 52, allegedly served his prostitutes crack and heroin twice a day on a silver platter, but prosecutors say he was one brutal master.
Anita Alvarez is as frustrated as anyone else, claiming she's doing the best she can, with what she has to work with.
Alvarez said there were no Illinois charges pending against convicted murderer Steven Robbins, because a January 1993 arrest warrant for armed violence and cocaine possession had been dismissed in 2007.
Last month, Kenneth Williams received a letter from the state's attorney's office demanding he resign because he's a felon. He was convicted of forgery in Indiana in 1985.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez has suspended two prosecutors for failing to approve criminal charges against a man who had threatened to set his kids on fire after filling a bathtub with gasoline – then actually set them on fire three months later.
There are about 40,000 drunk driving arrests in Illinois each year.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez wants a "complete and thorough, top-to-bottom" review of alleged hazing abuses at Maine West High School.
Several hundred people who all shared something in common -- the violent loss of a loved one -- gathered Saturday at the UIC Forum to share, remember and heal.
The Cook County State's Attorney has announced the indictment of six people - all accused of using their positions in Chicago area school districts to steal money from taxpayers.
Investigators say they have cracked the case of an auto theft ring that stole some 200 vehicles in Chicago.
Jennifer Hudson recently befriended the victim of another horrendous crime, according to a report Tuesday.
A 35-year-old man has been accused of forcing 12 girls into prostitution, and addicting them to heroin.
Illinois lawmakers and advocates Monday announced their intentions to form a bipartisan commission to investigate crimes in the Epstein files that happened in the state.
Chicago is once again the top U.S. metropolitan area for companies looking to relocate.
The Cook County Chief Judge's Office is warning people about a scam to get people to pay fake parking fees.
A couple has gone viral for a romantic engagement at the Chili's restaurant inside Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
In honor of Women's History Month, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is honoring women trailblazers in the energy field.
Illinois lawmakers and advocates Monday announced their intentions to form a bipartisan commission to investigate crimes in the Epstein files that happened in the state.
President Trump said he expects the bombing campaign to last four to five weeks, but "we have [the] capability to go far longer than that."
The Pentagon announced Monday that a fourth American service member has been killed in Operation Epic Fury.
The time has come in suburban Cook County, as early voting opened in 55 locations on Monday. Polling also expands across all 50 Chicago wards.
President Trump posted on social media that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed after a massive U.S. and Israeli military operation Saturday.
Palatine, Illinois-based Weber has issued a recall of more than 3.2 million metal wire bristle grill brushes because you could ingest the bristles.
This is after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an ordinance that would have banned most hemp-derived products this weekend.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Not one, but two hotels are now planned or proposed for Chicago's Northalsted LGBTQ+ nightlife district.
After the Double Door closed in Wicker Park, there was reassurance that the Double Door would return, at a new location in the city's Uptown neighborhood. Now that is not happening anymore.
Barnes & Noble was set to reopen in Skokie on Wednesday, just weeks after it closed.
Trader Joe's is opening a new location in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood.
The district laid out a $630 million plan to remake Soldier Field into a major concert venue and events space.
Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, known for his hits like "Laughter in the Rain," "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and "Calendar Girl," has died.
A 19th-century George Méliès film, thought to be long lost, has been found among a box of brittle movie reels that a Michigan donor brought to the Library of Congress, officials said.
Streaming giant Netflix declined to match Paramount Skydance's $31 per share offer for Warner Bros. Discovery.
After the Double Door closed in Wicker Park, there was reassurance that the Double Door would return, at a new location in the city's Uptown neighborhood. Now that is not happening anymore.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 list of nominees, including Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, Wu-Tang Clan and more.
Chicago is once again the top U.S. metropolitan area for companies looking to relocate or expand, according to Site Selection Magazine.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has your 11 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Monday, March 2, 2026.
Ballots are available at 55 suburban Cook County locations and sites in all 50 Chicago wards. Lauren Victory reports.
A couple has gone viral for a romantic engagement at the Chili's restaurant inside Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
A man was shot and killed while sitting in a vehicle in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side early Monday.
One person is dead, and three others were hurt after three drive-by shootings across Chicago within a three-hour period.
Illinois lawmakers and advocates Monday announced their intentions to form a bipartisan commission to investigate crimes in the Epstein files that happened in the state.
Chicago is once again the top U.S. metropolitan area for companies looking to relocate.
The Cook County Chief Judge's Office is warning people about a scam to get people to pay fake parking fees.
A couple has gone viral for a romantic engagement at the Chili's restaurant inside Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
If you feel like you're drowning in a sea of text alerts and desperate email pleas for "just $5" this election season, you are far from alone.
A north suburban school bus driver became a victim of sophisticated scammers who are targeting more people and more vulnerable populations to make more money.
Both couples are still actively fighting for their kids, knowing it will be a long and complicated road.
The mother of an 8-year-old boy who was allegedly put in a chokehold and dragged by the neck by a Chicago Public Schools employee hopes her lawsuit and choice to speak out will help protect students in the future.
A jury on Wednesday awarded $5.74 million in damages to a Chicago family who accused police of violating their civil rights in a botched raid of their home in 2018.
The Tritons have already gone on a record-breaking win streak this season.
The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Utah Mammoth 4-0 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.
Collin Sexton added 22 points, and Matas Buzelis had 20, helping Chicago come out on top after matching the third-worst skid in franchise history.
The win extended Chicago's unbeaten streak against Canadian opponents to six matches dating to 2024.
Connor Bedard scored for Chicago, which has lost eight of nine and continues to struggle to score.
A man was shot and killed while sitting in a vehicle in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side early Monday.
A car was overturned on the sidewalk after a crash in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood early Monday morning.
A man was in police custody on allegations that he stabbed his mother on Chicago's West Side Sunday night.
One person is dead, and three others were hurt — including a 15-year-old boy — after three drive-by shootings across the city of Chicago within a three-hour window Sunday night.
The man who killed two and wounded 14 also had photos of Iranian leaders in his home, a source said.
