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.
Indiana public safety officials say at least seven people have died during days of heavy rain and historic flooding in the state.
A 14-year-old girl suffered a graze wound from gunfire Monday morning in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood.
Zach Lahn won the Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary over Trump's endorsed candidate, but three months before Election Day, many in his own party say they still don't know who he is.
A Florida man who once lived in Illinois has been charged with swindling at least $180,000 from four people by lying to them about short-term investment opportunities.
A Chicago man has been charged with drunk driving in a crash that killed a passenger in his SUV on the Stevenson Expressway over the weekend.
Zach Lahn won the Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary over Trump's endorsed candidate, but three months before Election Day, many in his own party say they still don't know who he is.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s closed-door research has yet to produce evidence linking vaccines and autism.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he hasn't heard back from Sen. Mitch McConnell following formal requests for an update on his health last month amid a weekslong hospitalization.
As a Democratic Congressman, Chicago mayor, ambassador, and chief of staff in the Obama White House, Rahm Emanuel has been a key and combative moderate; he says his fight, now and in the future, is bigger than him and his party.
Americans think more young people in office would make politics better.
Illinois is one of 46 states that have reached a $15.5 million settlement with a Pennsylvania-based mortgage servicer for improperly imposing new insurance policies on homeowners who already had insurance.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
Researchers from the University of Chicago have uncovered some information on how space travel affects — or actually doesn't affect — the heart.
As people age, it becomes crucial to do whatever possible to protect from issues like memory loss. But leading neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter said the process actually starts well before advanced age.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In a wide-ranging interview with the CBS News partner BBC News, Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father's condition, describing it as very sad to watch.
With the cyclosporiasis linked to iceberg lettuce growing and consumers wary of the products on grocery shelves, many in Chicago are turning to local farmers market for fresh and safe greens.
The Original Rainbow Cone celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special event at its Beverly location.
The Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile announced plans Thursday for a multimillion-dollar renovation project.
While the building that housed the flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue has been torn down, the renowned Chicago restaurant chain is now set to open a new Lakeview location.
Nationally, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023 — a figure projected to reach 72.6 billion gallons by 2028, raising concerns about states' water supplies.
Chicago's Wishbone Restaurant will soon be closing after 36 years in business.
Hayden Panettiere, who starred in "Remember the Titans" as a child actor and rose to fame in the series "Heroes," has died at the age of 36. The coroner's office says she was found in cardiac arrest.
Buddy Guy was honored with the Chicago Music Legend Award at the Obama Presidential Center's Chicago Culture Ball this weekend.
Bal Khabra is the author of the four-part series "Off the Ice," a college hockey romance collection that is wrapping up at just the right time.
Crews need about a week and a half to tear down the festival site before the city can begin its own inspection — and past cleanup costs have topped $1 million.
Vincent Pastore played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on all six seasons of "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007.
With school already back in session in some parts of the country, many parents have begun stressing about what to send every day in their kids’ lunch, but there are ways to reduce “school lunch dread.”
Meteorologist David Yeomans has your 11 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Monday, Aug. 17, 2026.
Search efforts are underway after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia killed nearly 70 people and injured more than 200 others.
Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant was inside a restaurant picking up a food order when gunfire rang out. Lauren Victory reports.
A 60-day deadline to reach a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran is expiring on Monday, with no extension announced.
One man died and another was hospitalized after falling into Lake Michigan near the 31st Street Beach on Sunday night.
The mayor of the south Chicago suburb of Robbins was grazed by a bullet wound during a shooting at a restaurant and bar over the weekend.
Hayden Panettiere, who starred in "Remember the Titans" as a child actor and rose to fame in the sci-fi series "Heroes," has died at the age of 36.
It comes just a week after another high-profile party inside, sparking concerns about safety and cost.
Indiana public safety officials say at least seven people have died during days of heavy rain and historic flooding in the state.
The discovery of dozens of decomposing bodies at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple with a history of mishandling human remains has raised questions about how Illinois regulates the funeral home and crematory industries.
An arrest at a Lululemon athletic wear store in the Gold Coast neighborhood in Chicago led investigators to a crew that was exploiting unhoused people and responsible for thefts totaling $100,000.
More violations at Chicago's Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium have surfaced, which is now under investigation for its role in mishandling bodies connected to the family that ran South Chicago Chapel.
Many unanswered questions remain after 56 decomposing bodies were found inside a Chicago funeral home last week.
A lawsuit on behalf of a man who was shot and killed by police in Humboldt Park in March claims a CPD officer fired deadly shots just after arriving at a controlled scene instead of de-escalating.
Kamilla Cardoso had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Natasha Cloud scored 20 points.
Chicago lost for the third time in four games.
Munetaka Murakami hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning and the Chicago White Sox rallied for a 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers to complete a three-game sweep.
One of Tommy John's biggest legacies to MLB was his comeback elbow reconstruction surgery that now bears his name.
The series ends Sunday afternoon when the Cardinals send Hunter Dobbins against fellow right-hander Edward Cabrera.
A 14-year-old girl suffered a graze wound from gunfire Monday morning in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood.
Chicago police early Monday were looking for three people who they said got into a fight with a man in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, and then shot and killed him.
A driver caused a chain-reaction crash in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood after fleeing from troopers, Illinois State Police said Monday morning.
A woman was shot and killed early Sunday morning in front of the Original Maxwell Street hot dog and Polish sausage stand in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood.
A woman was killed in a shooting on Chicago's Near West Side early Sunday morning.