The United States Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a Chicago rapist in a case that had potential negative implications for prosecutors across the country and was personally argued by the Cook County State’s Attorney, according to …
2022 IL 126927 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS (Docket No. 126927) THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ex rel. ANITA ALVAREZ, Appellee, v. $59,914 UNITED STATES CURRENCY et al. (Ameen Salaam, Appellant). Opinion filed April 21, 2022. JUSTICE MICHAEL J. BURKE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.
Apr 22, 2015 · Statement on State's Attorney Alvarez's Policy Change. JHA supports Cook County policy shift on diverting low welve drug offenses from criminal prosecution. Founded in 1901, the John Howard Association (JHA) is Illinois’ only non-partisan prison watchdog and justice reform advocate. Our mission is to achieve a fair, humane, and effective criminal justice system by …
20 minutes ago · On Friday, April 22, 2022, federal prosecutors and defense attorneys battled over alternate stories about the fatal beating of Earvin, an Illinois prison inmate four years earlier, in …
In the wake of the release of video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald, protestors and Chicago politicians called on Alvarez to resign for having waited 13 months to prosecute police officer Jason Van Dyke.
Another controversial case was a Wicker Park shooting of a homeless man, Sammy Tate, involving two falsely accused black minors. Alvarez approved the keeping of a 16-year-old minor (Deandre Washington) in solitary confinement in Cook County Jail for 4 years pending trial. The trial lasted 45 minutes in 2003 where both defendants were acquitted. Alvarez also refused to resign when asked, yet settled suit against the city in 2012 for malicious prosecution by local Cochran offices for $1 million. Additionally, Alvarez had no response when asked why she kept a minor in solitary for so long. At a 2018 Chicago City Club event, Alvarez's then-press agent still defended the ex-Cook County State's Attorney for not knowing how many minors were kept in solitary confinement during her term in office. This does qualify her for prosecution for crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
She attended Maria High School and received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Chicago in 1982. She earned her J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1986. Alvarez has spent her entire legal career in the State's Attorney's Office. Alvarez began her career as an Assistant State's Attorney in 1986.
Alvarez (born January 16, 1960) is the former State's Attorney for Cook County, Illinois, United States . Alvarez was the first Hispanic woman elected to this position, after being the first Latina to win the Democratic nomination for state's attorney of Cook County.
She won reelection in 2012. She ran for reelection again in 2016, but was defeated in the primary election by Kim Foxx . During her first five years in office, Alvarez drafted a law that has increased criminal penalties for gang members arrested with guns.
In 2013, Alvarez's office charged Dante Servin, the police officer who shot Rekia Boyd, with involuntary manslaughter. In 2015, Servin was cleared of all charges by the presiding judge, who pointed to the inconsistent charges as the reason for his decision. Alavarez was heavily criticized for undercharging Servin, and his consequent acquittal, which some critics alleged was an attempt by Alvarez to curry favor with the police department.
Anita M. Alvarez (born January 16, 1960) is the former State's Attorney for Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alvarez was the first Hispanic woman elected to this position, after being the first Latina to win the Democratic nomination for state's attorney of Cook County.
A Chicago native, Alvarez was born and raised in the Pilsen neighborhood. She attended Maria High School and received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Chicago in 1982. She earned her J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1986.
Alvarez has spent her entire legal career in the State's Attorney's Office. Alvarez began her career as an Assistant State's Attorney in 1986. She has argued before the Illinois Appellate Court and t…
Alvarez was elected Cook County State's Attorney in 2008. She won reelection in 2012. She ran for reelection again in 2016, but was defeated in the primary election by Kim Foxx.
During her first five years in office, Alvarez drafted a law that has increased criminal penalties for gang members arrested with guns. Gang members convicted under the new law face a mandatory prison sentence and are no longer eligible for parole.
Alvarez was married to Dr. James Gomez until May 2021. She has four children. Alvarez resides with her family in River Forest, Illinois.
• Cook County States Attorney website