Defending the accused shouldn’t be a mark of shame. But in the world of politics, there may not be a more loathsome creature than a criminal defense attorney. I’ve been thinking about that these past few weeks as I watched Republican senators attack U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and Democrats assail Illinois GOP […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inNews
Southeast High gives teen court a try
Springfield’s Southeast High School is experimenting with a program designed to divert students who misbehave away from the criminal justice system. For example, if a student is caught stealing, the current approach is to have the police officer who is assigned to the school write a citation and the matter is referred to the Sangamon […]
Posted inOpinion
Leading a privileged life
A few months ago, I was pulled over by a Springfield-area police officer for a minor traffic violation. He shined a flashlight in my car and said, “Mr. Reeder, are you carrying?” I replied that no, my firearm was home locked up in a safe. He replied, “You should always carry. It doesn’t do you […]
Posted inNews
Robin Schmidt running for judge
Almost five years after Judge John Schmidt’s unexpected death, his widow, Robin, is seeking her own spot on the Sangamon County bench. She currently serves as a felony prosecutor in the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and as a trustee of the Springfield Park Board. “These are big shoes to fill with the retirement of […]
Posted inOpinion
Buy now, save later
The problem with inflation is that there is more than enough blame to go around. Some folks will say it’s Joe Biden’s fault, others blame Donald Trump, or Russia, or Congress or the Federal Reserve. Maybe everybody is a little bit right or a little bit wrong. I don’t know. I grew up on a […]
Posted inNews
The Black valedictorian who never received the title
In 1984, Tracey Meares had the highest grade-point average in her class and was prepared to be her class’ valedictorian. It was of particular significance to her because she would be the first Black person to claim the title in Springfield High School’s history. But the title was denied to Meares, leaving a Springfield documentary […]
Posted inOpinion
Guilty by association
I always feel bad for the spouses. When politicians get charged with a crime, the political powers that be go after their mates too. Early this month, Gov. JB Pritzker booted Shirley Madigan from her position as chair of the Illinois Arts Council. It’s a position that she served well and ably in for 37 […]
Posted inOpinion
Dealing with dyslexia
The tears still flow. I met Chip Gass for lunch at a Springfield diner March 4. I hadn’t seen him for decades, but we have something in common that places us in a unique community: those with dyslexia. I first met Chip 30 years ago when I was a young reporter in the Quad-Cities and […]
Posted inNews
Overcoming the odds
Born into a world of legal segregation, Greg Harris has pushed to overcome; today at age 73, he is the new U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. Harris, who was recently appointed to the job by President Joe Biden, is the first African American to hold the post that oversees federal law enforcement […]
Posted inNews
From here to Hollywood
She was once the only Black person living in Athens, Illinois, a village of 2,000; today she is a respected screenwriter in Hollywood with millions of people watching her work. Marissa Jo Cerar’s mini-series “Women of the Movement” focuses on Mamie Till, whose 14-year-old son, Emmett, was killed in Money, Mississippi, in August 1955. Chicago […]
Posted inOpinion
Why I weep when I hear “Danny Boy”
I glanced at the calendar and the date Feb. 26 stared back at me. It was my brother Danny’s birthday. He would have turned 65. A milestone birthday. At 13 you are a teenager. At 16, a driver. At 18, a voter. At 21, an adult. And at 65 you’re a senior citizen. But there […]
Posted inOpinion
Why I weep when I hear “Danny Boy”
I glanced at the calendar and the date Feb. 26 stared back at me. It was my brother Danny’s birthday. He would have turned 65. A milestone birthday. At 13 you are a teenager. At 16, a driver. At 18, a voter. At 21, an adult. And at 65 you’re a senior citizen. But there […]
