CRIMINAL COURTS OVERBURDENED: REPORT

Cook County's criminal courts are teetering under a massive volume of
drug cases, mentally ill defendants and demands by elected officials
who fail to provide adequate funding, according to a report by a legal
advocacy group.

The Criminal Courts Building at 26th and California hears more than
28,000 cases a year, and each judge handles an average of 275 cases at
a time, according to the report by the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice.

"We have an overburdened court," said Criminal Court Presiding Judge
Paul Biebel on Thursday at a public forum on the report.

The report chides the state Legislature for overburdening the courts
by passing laws without regard to their cost or impact.

Nonviolent drug crimes make up more than half of the cases at 26th and
California, the report states. It recommends creating more drug courts
and expanding programs like "drug school," in which first-time,
nonviolent drug offenders attend classes and get referrals for treatment.

At the forum, State's Attorney Dick Devine and Cook County Public
Defender Ed Burnette criticized the County Board for failing to
provide adequate funding.

"The County Board members and the president don't really have a clue
what the criminal justice system does. And more to the point, they
don't care," Devine said.