Expert Defense Lawyer: Blagojevich Has Grounds for Another Retrial

As jury deliberations continue in the Blagojevich retrial, one of the city’s prominent criminal defense attorneys provides insights on the case. He says that Judge Zagel has acted uncharacteristically “screwy” and unfair, leaving open the possibility of a retrial, and that Blagojevich did remarkably well on the stand…

Chicago Crime Roundup

The cost of wrongful incarceration and the city’s immense legal-settlement costs; Chicago’s new gun law seems as ineffectual as the gun ban that preceded it; a Sun-Times reporter gets caught in the line of fire and returns to figure out why; and more

Chicago Teacher Salaries: The Long View

The Board of Education rejected Chicago teachers’ “automatic” four-percent raise, portending a showdown between the Chicago Teachers Union and the mayor, or at least more tension. Setting aside whether teachers are “overpaid” or “underpaid,” let’s take a look at how they’ve been historically paid.