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.
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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.
The search has resumed for a second contractor worker swept into a storm sewer Monday in Downer Grove during severe weather.
In-person absentee voting began Tuesday in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, the same day a judge was set to hear arguments on whether voters who already returned mail ballots should be allowed to cancel and recast them.
A Wisconsin tornado that struck near Appleton and Menasha has caused extensive damage and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people.
A power outage shut down the Fifth Municipal District Cook County Courthouse in Bridgeview, Illinois, on Tuesday.
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum said "Bug Squad" provides hands-on learning opportunities in a world inspired by fictitious superheroes and real science.
In-person absentee voting began Tuesday in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, the same day a judge was set to hear arguments on whether voters who already returned mail ballots should be allowed to cancel and recast them.
Candidates for Chicago mayor may start circulating petitions on Tuesday for the election in February 2027.
The plans include arresting migrants in Ohio and quickly putting them on deportation flights to crisis-stricken Haiti, the internal documents indicate.
President Trump cracked jokes at the redo of the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday night, after an armed assailant upended April's dinner.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased commercial spyware that can covertly take control of phones, collect messages, photos and location information.
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.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
Carly Simon, the singer known for 1970s hits like "You're So Vain," announced she has Parkinson's disease and also was treated for basal cell carcinoma.
Paramount Skydance on Friday said it would delay the deal until as late as June 2027.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is the first film shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras, and Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge is 1 of roughly 30 theaters nationwide equipped to show it that way.
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
Meet a young entrepreneur chasing her dreams live on CBS News Chicago.
A Wisconsin tornado that struck near Appleton and Menasha has caused extensive damage and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people.
Protests are underway in D.C. as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
As Bradley Blackburn reports, the president is also trying to rally supporters with fewer than 100 days to go until the midterms.
The American Red Cross is offering assistance to people who are affected by the storms. Jackie Kostek reports from a shelter location in south suburban Steger.
Thousands of people are still in the dark after two rounds of storms swept through the area on Monday afternoon.
The search has resumed for a second contractor worker swept into a storm sewer Monday in Downer Grove during severe weather.
In-person absentee voting began Tuesday in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, the same day a judge was set to hear arguments on whether voters who already returned mail ballots should be allowed to cancel and recast them.
A Wisconsin tornado that struck near Appleton and Menasha has caused extensive damage and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people.
A power outage shut down the Fifth Municipal District Cook County Courthouse in Bridgeview, Illinois, on Tuesday.
While Mayor Brandon Johnson hasn't announced if he will run for re-election next year, he's boasting about lower vacancy rates for Mag Mile buildings and taking credit for the positive changes.
A Lockport foster parent said he lost his kids, job and home for months after a mix-up that landed his name on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Police say a man and a woman were last seen speaking with the victim before the shooting.
Neighbors in the Avalon Park neighborhood said their community has been plagued by squatters, weeds, rats, and water leaks – all thanks to an abandoned home that's been sitting vacant for years.
Alex Bregman had a homer, two doubles and drove in two runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
The New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series between playoff contenders.
The son of Chiefs assistant coach Eric Bieniemy has been arrested and charged with a shooting that wounded his mother, Mia Bieniemy, according to authorities in Virginia.
Center fielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones and second baseman Jeff Kent were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Murakami hit a 385-foot, two-run homer in the bottom of the first that gave Chicago its first lead of the game. It was his first homer since May 27th.
The son of Chiefs assistant coach Eric Bieniemy has been arrested and charged with a shooting that wounded his mother, Mia Bieniemy, according to authorities in Virginia.
Chicago police issued an alert this past weekend about a string of ATM-related thefts on the city's South and Southwest sides.
Crash-and-grab burglars hit a Shell gas station on the cusp of Chicago's Lakeview and Lincoln Park communities early Monday morning.
A robber jumped through a drive-thru window at a McDonald's in Chicago's Belmont Cragin community early Monday morning.
Police believe a suspect in the deadly shooting at a food festival in Seattle was among those who were killed, as another suspect remains on the loose and a teenager is in custody.
