March 19, 2020
We Marshal Forward
to Give Justice a Voice!!!
As a valued partner of Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA), we appreciate your ongoing support and engagement. The COVID-19 emergency has only increased the vulnerability of the individuals, families and communities that we work to serve each and every day, and we are making sure that the health and safety of our staff and clients are of the utmost priority.
CGLA continues to monitor the daily developments of the coronavirus and we are creating solutions that will benefit our clients, partners and supporters during this difficult time. Recognizing that the virus is highly contagious, all of the experts agree that the best way to control its spread is to reduce opportunities for people to be in close contact with each other. Guidelines from the Mayor of Chicago, the Governor of Illinois, city and state departments of health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, instruct businesses and organizations to practice social distancing by temporarily limiting the situations where people have to be in close contact with each other. We want you to know how CGLA is complying with these guidelines for social distancing and what the impacts will be on our daily operations as we continue to offer alternatives for our services:
CGLA’s Operations
CGLA is doing its part to protect our staff and reduce the spread of the outbreak by implementing a mandatory work from home policy, and by suspending all business travel. Our office at 6 S. Clark Street is currently closed to the general public. The entire staff will work remotely during normal business hours, and we will continue to respond to phone calls, voicemails, and emails. Please call us at 312-738-2452 or go to our Get Help page.
CGLA Help Desks
CGLA’s Help Desks at the Daley Center and Markham Courthouse are temporarily closed. However, we are designing a way to allow Help Desk patrons to submit a request for assistance with expungement and sealing through our website, www.cgla.net. Please visit our website often to check our progress and we are working to assure that there is a streamlined process to support our client’s legal needs.
Cook County Circuit Court
The Chief Judge has issued an order to postpone civil and criminal cases for a 30-day period starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020 through April 15, 2020. All courthouses will remain open for those 30 days. However, because court employees who are not required to be in courtrooms are encouraged to work remotely, some services may not be available.
Court dates are expected to be rescheduled 30 days from the original court date. For example, a hearing that was scheduled for March 23, 2020, will be rescheduled for April 22, 2020. Please contact the Clerk’s office in the district where your case is to be heard to get your new court date. Contact information can be found on the Clerk’s website.
Cook County Expungement and Sealing Court Call
The Presiding Judge over the Expungement Court Call has suspended the expungement and sealing calls at 2650 S. California Avenue for the remainder of March through April 20, 2020. The call will resume on April 21, 2020. Hearings that were scheduled during this time will be rescheduled. Hearings in suburban districts have also been suspended for a minimum of 30 days. Again, please contact the Clerk’s office to get your new hearing date.
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CGLA will strive to provide the highest level of legal services possible under these challenging circumstances while minimizing the impact on our ability to serve our clients and the public. Thank you for your partnership and we appreciate all you do to Give Justice a Voice!
Please continue to visit us at www.cgla.net for the latest updates.
Below, are resources and recommendations to stay informed about COVID-19.
Chicago Department of Public Health
Illinois Department of Public Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
March 31, 2020
Cook County Circuit Court - UPDATE
The Chief Judge has issued an updated order to postpone non-emergency civil and criminal cases until May 18. A list of emergency cases are included below.
You are encouraged to contact the Court and Clerk's Office by phone or email if possible. Contact information can be found on the Clerk’s website.
While most courthouses will remain open, some court employees are not required to be at work and some services may not be available. In addition, the following three branch locations will close from April 6 through May 18:
5555 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL
727 E. 111th St., Chicago, IL
3150 W. Flournoy St., Chicago, IL
Cases scheduled for April 6 and May 18 at these three locations will be held
at the Leighton Criminal Court Building (2650 S. California Ave.)
Judge Evans also ordered the expansion of videoconferencing for all necessary and emergency court proceedings, including jail detainees with bail hearings. These hearings will be conducted by video no later than April 16.
New eviction or foreclosure orders cannot entered,
nor can the Sherriff enforce an eviction or foreclosure order until May 18
(even if the order was entered before March 17).
However, landlords and banks can continue to file eviction and foreclosure petitions online during this time.
Court dates are expected to be rescheduled 60 days from the original court date. However, we strongly recommend you contact the Clerk’s office in the district where your case is to be heard to confirm your new court date.
Contact information can be found on the Clerk’s website.
What is considered an "Emergency" Case?
Under the court's order, emergency cases include:
Bail Hearings, Arraignments, and Preliminary Hearings for Adult Criminal Cases
Demands for Trial and Detention Hearings for Juvenile Criminal Cases
Emergency Motions in Child Abuse or Neglect cases
Order of Protection Petitions
Emergency Child-Support Petitions
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Please continue to visit us at www.cgla.net for updates.
April 6. 2020
CGLA Operations - UPDATE
In compliance with recommendations, our physical office and Help Desks will continue to be closed to the general public until at least April 30. Our staff continues to be available remotely between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., responding to phone calls, voicemails, and emails. We also continue to review new requests for legal help through our online applications and intake phone line. Please do not hesitate to call us at 312-738-2452 or go to our Get Help page.
Cook County Circuit Court - UPDATE
In addition to the extension of court closures previously updated on March 31,
the Clerk's Office at all Cook County locations are now open by appointment ONLY. For a list of services that can be done without visiting the Cler's Office, click here.
For additional contact information, including phone and email, click here.
For information on sending a Motion for Bail Review, click here.
You can visit the Clerk's website for the latest updates here.
Housing Evictions - UPDATE
Due to recent updates to the law by the Illinois and federal governments, your rights as to eviction may have changed. If you are facing eviction or are struggling to pay your rent, click here for more information. O
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Please continue to visit us at www.cgla.net for updates.