After commenting on the fraud, waste and abuse inside the Cook County Adult Probation Department, Officer Cheryl Anderson is having an internal audit done stemming from cases years ago that can result in discipline. Anderson was one of the few officers who spoke on the record for the Illinois Policy Institute's investigation regarding the clout corruption inside the department. more ›

Former Chicago Police officer Anthony Abbate may wind up in prison after all, just not for the reason we all thought he would. Last summer, Abbate was found guilty of aggravated assault in the videotaped beating of bartender Karolina Obrycka . He managed to avoid jail time, though, being sentenced to two years of probation, an enforced curfew, anger management classes, alcohol evaluation, and 130 hours of community service. But the Tribune reports today that Abbate failed a drug test in early January, a violation of his probation, which could lead to jail time. more ›

22 year old Raymond Bagaybagayan of Hoffman Estates was sentenced to 30 months probation and 240 hours of community service after pleading guilty to beating two cats to death and spraying a third one in the face with a lime dissolving fluid. Cook County Judge Kay Hanlon also ordered Bagaybagayan to pay $1,750 in veterinary bills and not have contact with any companion animals. [Chicago Breaking News] more ›

Today through Wednesday, we're counting down the top 9 stories of 2009 according to the Chicagoist staff. more ›

The controversial light sentence handed down earlier this year to former alderman Edward "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak is now coming under scrutiny from an appeals panel. The Tribune reports that a three-member panel from the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals is digging into concerns over the sentence. Vdrolyak, who pleaded guilty to playing a role in a real estate kickback scheme involving property being sold on behalf of Rosalind Franklin University, received a sentence of five years probation and a $50,000 fine from U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur, who defended the sentence by claiming the school suffered no financial loss as a result of the scheme while the school claimed they lost as much as $6 million on the sale. more ›

The Saga of the Teen Cop Impersonator has finally come to a conclusion. We think. The 15-year-old teen that impersonated a police officer earlier this year has been sentenced to three years probation. The teen, who was 14 when he was arrested for the impersonation, appeared in juvenile court today where Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Berman handed down the sentence and offered this stern warning: "One of the things that you have done, and have been very candid about, is you like to manipulate other people and situations. That's going to stop right now. You are not going to manipulate me. If you mess up with this probation ... to say nothing of if you get arrested, that's it. Next stop is the Department of Corrections." more ›