Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic—Significant Achievements for 2020-21
On April 24, 2021, Criminal & Juvenile Justice Clinic presented a virtual daylong symposium. The program was the culmination of six months’ work by CJJC and Crown School students. Students developed and vetted topics and panelists with the goal of promoting broad discussions between institutional stakeholders, academics, RJ practitioners, and Chicago communities.
Sessions included:
- Defining Restorative Justice: Minister Attorney M. Michelle Day of Nehemiah Trinity Rising; Judge Colleen Sheehan, Circuit Court of Cook County; and Professor Mikail Lyubansky, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign;
- What is a Peace Circle?: Tomas Ramirez, Seeds and Roots Executive Director; and
- Why Restorative Justice?: Professor Adriaan Lanni, Harvard Law School; Judge Sophia Hall, Circuit Court of Cook County; and Professor Annalise Booth, Northwestern Law School.
The centerpiece session, A Restorative Justice Experience, was a discussion between Father David Kelly of Precious Blood Ministry, Xavier McElrath-Bey, previously incarcerated for murder and currently Co-Executive Director at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and Cinthya Martinez, the sister of the young man who was killed.
Law and social work students facilitated Breakout discussions with moderators from the judiciary, Chicago Public Schools and faith and community- based practitioners.
The symposium was attended by approximately 200 people and overwhelmingly well received. View the symposium online.
PEOPLE v M.A.
M.A., a 24-year-old woman, was charged in a sixteen-count indictment with offenses ranging from attempted murder to possession of a weapon by a felon. (She had previously pled guilty to a drug offense.) A gas station security camera captured the shooting. At the time CJJC began representing M.A. she was in the CCDOC with a $100,000.00 bond.
Professor Herschella Conyers and Professor Judith Miller did a lunch talk inviting students to act as jurors and view the videotape. The “verdict” was split.
Students first drafted a Motion to Reduce Bond. At the hearing on the motion, we asked the judge to review the video. After watching, the Judge reduced the bond and M.A.’s family was able to post $500.00 to secure her release pending trial.
We asserted the defenses of self-defense and necessity. Students drafted a Motion-in-Limine seeking to introduce evidence of the complaining witness’ prior bad acts. Students’ fact investigation discovered several postings by the complaining witness boasting of or threatening violent acts. The court granted our motion in part allowing CJJC to introduce evidence of three prior bad acts. Before trial, the State had offered M.A. a plea deal of sixteen years. After the complaining witness testified, the State amended its offer to four years. M.A. rejected the offer. At the conclusion of a bench trial, M.A. was found not guilty on all counts.