Madeline Buckley

Madeline Buckley is a criminal justice reporter for the Chicago Tribune covering courts and the legal system. She covers courthouses across Cook County but is usually found at "26th and Cal."

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a leadership summit in Chicago on June 25, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

GOP candidate Darren Bailey uses trespassing arrest at Gov. JB Pritzker’s home for familiar attack on crime

July 18, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

In an era of rising concern over the safety of political figures, Republican nominee for governor Darren Bailey is using the arrest of a man at Gov. JB Pritzker's Gold...

Detainees are escorted by Cook County sheriff’s deputies as they walk through tunnels from Cook County Jail to the Leighton Criminal Courts Building for court appearances on Oct. 3, 2022. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Judges frequently order pretrial detention even when risk score is low: report

July 16, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Judges often hold defendants in jail while awaiting trial, even when given a low score for risk of flight or committing new offenses, a court advocacy group says.

Menard Correctional Center in downstate Chester on Aug. 31, 2012. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Lawsuit alleges IDOC inmates denied exercise in ‘dungeon-like’ solitary cells

July 14, 2026 at 12:12 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Corrections confined inmates in "dungeon-like conditions" in solitary confinement and refused to allow them to exercise, causing chronic physical and psychological pain, a lawsuit filed Monday...

Following earlier ICE presence and a reported arrest, activist Rachel Cohen warns people outside the domestic violence courthouse at 555 W. Harrison St. in Chicago on Sept. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Immigration arrests near county courthouses still persist, despite state law

July 12, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The presence of immigration agents around Cook County courthouses remains stubbornly persistent.

A police SUV crosses crime scene tape in the 2000 block of East 79th Street, near the scene where two police officers were shot during a traffic stop, July 3, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Man charged with attempted murder after shooting of 2 police officers in South Shore

July 6, 2026 at 4:57 p.m.

A 34-year-old Chicago man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting two officers Friday, Chicago police said.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros holds a news conference at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on July 2, 2026, to talk about a multiagency crime fighting operation in the region. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

US Attorney Andrew Boutros makes public appearance as ‘Broadview Six’ scandal grows

July 2, 2026 at 2:58 p.m.

Embattled U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on Thursday made one of his first local public appearances since his office dropped charges in the “Broadview Six” case amid alleged grand jury improprieties,...

A detainee puts her shoe on after receiving an electronic monitoring device before being released from Cook County Jail in Chicago on April, 12 2018. Since then, oversight of the county's electronic monitoring population has shifted to the Office of the Chief Judge. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

More of Illinois has access to electronic monitoring than ever before. But does it work?

June 23, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Since lawmakers expanded electronic monitoring to many new parts of the state following the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act, more of Illinois has access to the technology than ever...

Chicago police Officer Ella French. (Chicago Police Department)

Years after her death, body camera footage showing Officer Ella French’s final moments is made public

June 17, 2026 at 6:22 p.m.

Nearly five years after her death, body camera footage that captured the killing of Chicago police officer Ella French was released to the public Wednesday.

Federal, state and local officials investigate after Chicago firefighter Jermaine Pelt died on April 4, 2023, in an overnight fire in the 12000 block of South Wallace Street in the West Pullman neighborhood. (Brian Cassella)

Charges dropped just before trial in blaze that killed CFD firefighter

June 15, 2026 at 1:07 p.m.

Cook County prosecutors have dropped charges against two men who were accused of starting a fire in a vacant building in order to submit a fraudulent insurance claim, leading to...

A memorial for Riley O’Neil is on a bike rack in front of 3226 S. Halsted St. on June 7, 2026. O’Neil was struck and killed riding his bicycle there on June 5, 2026. (Peter Tsai/Chicago Tribune)

Court records show man who allegedly doored Riley O’Neil on Halsted Street has history of traffic infractions

June 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Last week's fatal crash in Bridgeport has reignited conversations about bike safety and infrastructure in Bridgeport and across Chicago.

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