Tom Hanks as James Donovan in Bridge of Spies. PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY PICTURES In 1957, attorney James Donovan was given the unenviable task of representing accused Russian spy Rudolf Abel when he was charged with conspiracy against the United States. It was a duty he took on reluctantly but completed with a sense of […]
U.S. Supreme Court
Posted inOpinion
Has America gone crazy?
It might appear that the U-S-of-A has gone bonkers. So let me clear up any confusion that you might have: Yes, it has! Yet, it hasn’t. More on that in a moment. First, though – whether looking at the “tea party” congress critters who’ve swerved our nation’s political debate to the hard right, or at […]
Posted inNews
Fewer kids in Illinois prisons
During the late 1980s and 1990s, Illinois’ youth prisons began filling up rapidly. The tough-on-crime approach that began in the 1960s was at the peak of popularity, and state law reflected it in mandatory minimum sentences and other provisions. From 1985 to 2000, the state’s population of incarcerated youth more than doubled, from 1,534 to […]
Posted inOpinion
Carry debate carries on
Before last Friday’s horrific school shooting in Connecticut, people on both sides of the concealed carry debate were saying privately that they did not expect Attorney General Lisa Madigan would appeal her major loss at the hands of the U.S. Court of Appeals. As you already know, a 7th Circuit panel in Chicago voted 2-1 […]
Posted inNews
Panhandling defended
Don Norton of Springfield has been homeless before, and he expects to be so again. Norton and his partner, Karen Denene Otterson, live with a friend who is planning to get married, meaning their welcome will wear out soon. “Unless I can find substantial support to get into another home or an apartment, I may […]
