In the annals of metropolitan police terror and corruption, the city of Chicago has a legacy second to none. The Chicago Police Department (“CPD”) has a history of criminality and impunity that should make any ambitious crime syndicate envious. Much of this history has become legendary. After the Great Migration of blacks to northern industrial [...]
Warning: Detours and Roadblocks Ahead — The Bumpy Road from Selma to Shelby County
By David Gespass The introduction and passage of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) 1 in 1965 was hailed, at the time, as momentous. When President Johnson proposed it, he used the language of an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, promising “we shall overcome.” 2 Long before that, in calling on Congress to insure African-American [...]
By Douglas A. Berman Montgomery v. Louisiana 1 is a dynamic and multifaceted Supreme Court ruling sure to engender plenty of extended analysis—and plenty of lower- court litigation—in the years to come. In this short commentary, I seek only to spotlight the import and impact of Montgomery arriving at the Court at the intersection of [...]
Book Review: Crashing the Party: Legacies and Lessons from the RNC 2000 By Kris Hermes
By Sue Udry We knew exactly what would happen last July at the Republican and Democratic national conventions. City governments would make plans to restrict protests. Police departments would purchase riot gear, less-than lethal weapons, and other special equipment. Insurance policies would quietly be bought. Some assortment of federal, state and local police would infiltrate [...]
Cycle of Misconduct: How Chicago has Repeatedly Failed to Police its Police
By Elizabeth J. Andonova Introduction The Chicago Police Department (“CPD”) has often faced accusations of being dishonest and corrupt. To deal with CPD’s bad reputation, numerous mayors and police superintendents created, and later tried to reform, agencies tasked with holding the police department and its staff accountable. None of their efforts have succeeded thus far. [...]