Section Newsletters

Articles From Evan Bruno

A Safety Issue: How the SAFE-T Act Really Does Violate the Bail Clause By Evan Bruno Criminal Justice, September 2024 The implications of the SAFE-T Act on the bail clause.
The Unfinished Work of Cannabis Reform in Illinois By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, November 2020 The results of the November 2020 election made clear that the majority of Americans are ready to move on from criminalized cannabis.
Time to Allow Possession of Cell Phones in Courthouses and Courtrooms By Evan Bruno Elder Law, August 2020  As part of its 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice plans to draft a uniform policy, to be presented to the Illinois Supreme Court, allowing greater use of cell phones in courthouses and encouraging adoption of a uniform policy statewide.
Time to Allow Possession of Cell Phones in Courthouses and Courtrooms By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, July 2020  As part of its 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice plans to draft a uniform policy, to be presented to the Illinois Supreme Court, allowing greater use of cell phones in courthouses and encouraging adoption of a uniform policy statewide.
A call to end routine shackling of custodial defendants By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, September 2018 The routine shackling of all custodial inmates at all court appearances reflects a constitutionally imbalanced approach, one that cuts away far too much liberty in the pursuit of absolute safety.       
A call for written admonishments in criminal cases By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, February 2018 The typical practice of orally delivering admonishments to a lay defendant ignores the glaring reality that virtually no human being—whether lay person or lawyer—is capable of retaining and recalling detailed information after hearing it only once. So why do the criminal courts indulge in this fantasy when such important rights are at stake?
1 comment (Most recent February 21, 2018)
A call for downstate bail reform By Evan Bruno Human and Civil Rights, December 2017 Human Rights Section Chair Evan Bruno argues that "If Cook County can survive with a $100 cap on all 'bail bond costs,' surely other Illinois counties can as well."
The bench, the bar and the lunch table By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, September 2017 In Champaign County, where author Evan Bruno practices criminal law, Bunny’s Tavern in Urbana is every Wednesday’s lunch spot. Any lawyer or judge, regardless of practice area or experience, is welcome. Every legal community needs such a lunch table.
A call for caution when limiting the public’s access to criminal courtrooms By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, February 2017 This article examines the delicate—and often blurry—line between a judge’s permissible exclusion of persons from the courtroom and the unconstitutional denial of the defendant’s right to a public trial.
Judges should not say “expert” in front of the jury By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, May 2016 It’s impossible to say for certain whether a judge’s oral designation of a witness as an expert has ever tipped the scales in a jury trial. But more importantly, why does the jury even need to be informed of this evidentiary ruling?
1 comment (Most recent May 16, 2016)
Time to rethink absolute prosecutorial discretion? By Evan Bruno Bench and Bar, September 2015 The only thing preventing our prosecution for the crimes we commit—yes, you and I both commit crimes—is the prosecutor’s total discretion.
Time to rethink absolute prosecutorial discretion? By Evan Bruno Government Lawyers, June 2015 Prosecutors should never lose sight of their sacred duty to do the right thing. This applies not only to prosecuting criminals, but also— perhaps even more so—deciding whether to prosecute in the first place.
Illinois should repeal its racial classification statutes By Evan Bruno Human and Civil Rights, October 2014 The author calls on Illinoisans of all shades and colors to urge their state representatives to repeal the Uniform Racial Classification Act and the State Employment Records Act.
Appellate court raises its eyebrow at Chicago’s ordinance enforcement machine By Evan Bruno Government Lawyers, June 2014 A discussion of the recent case of Stone Street Partners, LLC v. The City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings.
Some Illinois same-sex marriages may be void By Evan Bruno Human and Civil Rights, June 2014 A well-meaning County Clerk's gesture of giving same-sex couples an extra few months of marriage might end up doing more harm than good.
1 comment (Most recent June 10, 2014)
Does the Second Amendment present a human-rights issue? By Evan Bruno Human and Civil Rights, December 2013 There can be no doubt that the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights is alive and well. But to what extent does the right to “keep and bear arms” constitute a “human right?”
Cameras in the courtroom and the right to gather information By Evan Bruno Human and Civil Rights, October 2013 As of September 2013, the judges of 35 Illinois counties have approved the use of extended media coverage.

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