File #: 22-1161    Version: 1 Name: AUTHORIZING THE LAW OFFICE OF THE COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER TO IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ACT 102-0410
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 1/10/2022 In control: Finance Committee
On agenda: 1/13/2022 Final action: 1/13/2022
Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE LAW OFFICE OF THE COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER TO IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ACT 102-0410 WHEREAS, the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender has a mission to protect the fundamental rights, liberties, and dignity of each person whose case has been entrusted to it by providing the finest legal representation to individuals appearing before the Circuit Court of Cook County; and WHEREAS, over the past two years the Cook County Board of Commissioners (Board) and the Cook County President (President) have shown support for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender to launch an Immigration Unit Pilot to ensure that its noncitizen clients are advised of and protected against negative immigration consequences resulting from their pending criminal and civil matters (Padilla advisals) and to provide representation in immigration removal cases arising before the Chicago Immigration Court; and WHEREAS, in September 2020, with budget allocatio...
Sponsors: ALMA E. ANAYA, FRANK J. AGUILAR, LUIS ARROYO JR, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, DENNIS DEER, BRIDGET DEGNEN, BRIDGET GAINER, BRANDON JOHNSON, BILL LOWRY, DONNA MILLER, KEVIN B. MORRISON, SEAN M. MORRISON, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, LARRY SUFFREDIN
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PROPOSED RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE LAW OFFICE OF THE COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER TO IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ACT 102-0410

WHEREAS, the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender has a mission to protect the fundamental rights, liberties, and dignity of each person whose case has been entrusted to it by providing the finest legal representation to individuals appearing before the Circuit Court of Cook County; and

WHEREAS, over the past two years the Cook County Board of Commissioners (Board) and the Cook County President (President) have shown support for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender to launch an Immigration Unit Pilot to ensure that its noncitizen clients are advised of and protected against negative immigration consequences resulting from their pending criminal and civil matters (Padilla advisals) and to provide representation in immigration removal cases arising before the Chicago Immigration Court; and

WHEREAS, in September 2020, with budget allocations presented by the President and approved by the Board, along with a matching grant, the Immigration Unit Pilot was launched; and

WHEREAS, the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender (CCPD) has begun internal Padilla advisals, hired staff skilled in immigration removal defense, and is now equipped to provide representation to noncitizens appearing before the Chicago Immigration Court, located within Cook County; and

WHEREAS, CCPD, with its expertise in defending the constitutional rights of its clients and its history of providing zealous representation to indigent clients, is uniquely qualified to represent indigent noncitizens who are otherwise unable to obtain counsel, including those with criminal backgrounds and those who are incarcerated; and

WHEREAS, Public Act 102-0410, signed into law by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on August 19, 2021, authorizes public defender offices in counties with over three million residents and with the county board's concurrence, to...

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