Cook County Public Defenders Blog

Dear Brother and Sister Assistant Public Defenders:As we head into Labor Day weekend, I wanted us to pause a minute and reflect on what that day really means to us: cookouts, parades and the end of summer.    Is that what you were thinking?  Were you thinking pulling weeds, painting porches and entertaining in-laws?  Well maybe what we all need is a little labor history education.On September 1st, Labor Day, at 2:00 pm, there will be a very special event taking place at the Pullman Factory Building. The event is being sponsored by the Illinois AFL-CIO, the Illinois Labor History Society, the Chicago Black History Society, and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement among others.  This is in lieu of the usual extravaganza put on at Navy Pier.  There will be Music, Food- Picnics, tours of the Landmark Pullman Historic District and special “appearances” by Eugene Debs, A. Philip Randolph, Jennie Curtiss and Franklin D. Roosevelt - after all, it is the 75th Anniversary of the New Deal.  Here are two links to more information on the celebration. Admission is free!Whatever you do this weekend, please drive carefully and be safe.In Solidarity,K.S.G.   

In a closely balanced drug case, where the defense argued  that it was unconscionable that the State had failed to have certain items tested for fingerprints, the 4th District Appellate court stated that the defense can never open the door so as to shift the burden of proof, and therefore, the State’s rebuttal argument that it was unconscionable for the defense not to have submitted the fingerprints for analysis, was reversible error. ”Further, by overruling defendant’s objections to these type of comments by the State, the trial court was in effect sanctioning an erroneous burden of proof before the eyes of the jury,”  Justice Cook wrote.  People v. Aaron Beasley, 4th District, 8/22/08.   B. E. M.

And were U told that 3% of your donation was going towards Strogers fund and NOT what you may have intended?  Read the story here.

Click here for a link to an article on the new loan forgiveness law signed by President Bush.

Annette and Frankie will be there

Gidget thinks its REAL GONE and

                             space is limited. 

In April, the board participated in AFSCME Leadership Academy and identified areas that needed to be addressed within the local. Pictured from left to right are Monique Patterson, Joe Gump, Amy Thompson and Kulmeet Galhotra. (Not pictured: Brendan Max)After a careful assessment, the local leadership established the goal of having one certified steward for every twenty members.  At the time, the local had stewards, but none were certified.  So local leaders put together a plan to achieve our goal.  In early July, the plan culminated with a two-day training at Council 31 offices downtown, that led to the local having a cadre of over 20 certified stewards. Pictured below are the certified stewards and Ade Alagbala, our former staff representative from Council 31.  And during the week of July 28, 2008, we attended the International Convention in San Francisco. (Pictured below are the Local 3315 delegates consisting of the elected executive board of the local).  During the convention, the delegation listened to speeches by Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.  Senator Barack Obama spoke to the delegates via satellite. Click video for a link to the speech.At the Council 31 reception for convention delagates, the local leadership were able to make their presence known to AFSCME International Leadership.  (Pictured below, Local President Galhotra with AFSCME International Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy.)And the local always strives to maintainin a good working relationship with Council 31. (Pictured below, Joe Gump and Kulmeet Galhotra pose with Council 31 Executive Director, Henry Bayer).Pictured below is Joe Gump running in the Fun Run (5:45 am) to raise money for the PEOPLE campaign.  The runners raised over $30,000.  Nice job Joe!

Well this article from the LA Times seems to be the talk of the criminal defense community.  Read the article here.

In a 2-1 decision by our Appellate Court in People v McLaurin, 2008 Ill. App. LEXIS 426, the court reversed Mr McLaurin’s  conviction when he was excluded from discussions among the lawyers and judge about  five jury notes and when the trial court directed the sheriff to have an ex-parte discussion with the jurors by telling them to continue to deliberate.

Recently, in my post regarding issues of concern, I told you that we would be distributing a survey to the membership in order to discern the issues that were most important.  That survey has been completed and the survey chair, Arlene Floren, is in the process of analyzing the results.  

As to retros and the 1% issue, you know what showed up on your check and the issue seems moot–but we will continue to seek an interest payment on the retro amount. 

On July 1st and 2nd, 19 of your brothers and sisters participated in a 16- hour training that led to official certification by AFSCME as stewards for our local.  The participants, who gained certification are: JOE GUMP (RM), MONIQUE PATTERSON (26TH), AMY THOMPSON (HTF), TIM LEEMING (LRD), BRUCE MOSBACHER (26TH), LINDA PEREZ (MKM), PERSITA WEST (MKM), RICHARD KRUSS (26TH), BEATRIZ SANTIAGO (26TH), KEVIN OCHALLA (26TH), ARLENE FLOREN (CIV), STEVE DOHR (CIV), KRISTINA MENZEL (JJD), LARRY KUGLER (RM), GEORGEEN CARSON (SK), MARTHA FITZSIMMONS (MDD), MICHELLE THOMAS (FSU), AMBER MILLER (1ST MUNI) and lastly, your president, K. S. GALHOTRA (HTF).  Both new and old stewards learned tips, techniques and tools to better represent our members.

Two of our three annual union sponsored social events will be taking place this month and the next.  On July 24, 2008, we will be enjoying a day of golf, food and drink at Eaglewood Resort in Itasca. This was the same place as last year, but we are hoping the weather will be a bit different this year.  Please call George Grezca (HTF) at x5072 if you have not signed up for a foursome or want more information. Click here for information on the resort.The annual boat cruise is shipwrecked again — at Castaways on North Avenue Beach.  The party will be held on August 22, 2008 (a Friday night) and will include food and drink similar to last year.  More information will be posted on the website so stay tuned –  or call Amy Thompson at x6929.

The local’s petition and complaint in the Chancery division continues and is next scheduled before Judge Riley on July 21, 2008.

So that’s what’s going on this summer …. KSG.