Jezebel: Illinois

Untrained Nurses Are Another Obstacle to Ever Prosecuting Rapists

Anna North — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

A program called SANE teaches Illinois nurses how to perform rape kits, and how to testify if they're called as a witness in a rape case. But very few of the state's nurses have gone through the program, because it takes so much time and hospital funds. And this lack of trained professionals is yet another hurdle victims have to clear if they want their rapists to go to jail. More »

Cop Gets Sued After Giving a Woman a Ticket, Then Asking Her Out on a Date

Cassie Murdoch — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:35:00 EST

It was adorable in Bridesmaids when the very charming Officer Nathan Rhodes met Kristin Wiig's character, Annie Walker, while pulling her over for a broken rear light. But things don't always turn out so nicely in real life, as one police officer in Stickney, Illinois, discovered the hard way. More »

Ill Conceived Program Matches Sex Offenders, Children

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:00:05 EDT

Residents of the Land of Lincoln are undoubtedly aware of the unrelenting clusterfuck that is state and local governments. Usually the tangled web of patronage and ball-dropping results in rueful head shaking, or a shrug along with the line, "Well! That's Illinois!" But now, it seems that the headless vowel elongating chickens who run things around here have really dropped the ball. More »

Massive Shock That Female Jurors Didn't Go Easy On Blagojevich

Irin Carmon — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:30:21 EDT

Earlier this week, a jury of eleven women and one man convicted former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich on 17 of 20 charges related to corruption. So much for the theory that emotionally susceptible ladies would never convict him. More »

Teen Who Made School Hot List Arrested

Irin Carmon — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:38:00 EDT

A male teenager has been charged with misdemeanor disorderly content for making a list ranking 50 female students, "using racial slurs and ratings of body parts." More »

Illinois Reacts To Death Penalty Abolition

Anna North — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:45:00 EST

Yesterday Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation abolishing the death penalty in his state. Now the families of victims are angry — and Republicans vow to reinstate executions. More »

Illinois Sensibly Headed Towards Civil Unions

Irin Carmon — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:04:00 EST

Good news: Civil unions — including for same-sex couples — could be performed in Illinois as early as next summer, having cleared both the state's House and Senate as of yesterday despite fierce Catholic lobbying against it. More »

Tennis Keeping 90-Year-Old Grandmother Feeling "55 or 60"

Lauri Apple — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:33:45 EST

Mary Jane Murphy—whose nickname is "Tiger"—plays doubles twice a week, and golfs when the Chicago weather permits. Her secret to everlasting youth? "There's no secret," she says. However,"don't take any pills." [Image Core Materials/via Flickr.] More »

How Can Sex Be "Partly Consensual"?

Lauri Apple — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 12:25:20 EST

Authorities in Evanston, Illinois will charge a 17-year-old student with misdemeanor criminal sexual abuse instead of a felony because the 14-year-old victim gave cops contradictory information. Apparently the sex was "not forced," as she originally claimed, but "partly consensual." Huh? More »

School Lets Kids Wear "Straight Pride" Shirts

Anna North — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:03:00 EST

Students at an Illinois high school wore "Straight Pride" shirts to school Monday, with a Bible quote that recommended punishing homosexuality with death. The kids weren't disciplined — because the school says it was a "teachable moment." More »

Lawbreaker Michelle Obama Destroys The Democratic Process

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 10:51:00 EDT

Michelle Obama praised the President's policies after voting in Chicago, thereby violating Illinois' law against campaigning inside a polling place. Robert Gibbs commented, "I don't think it would be much to imagine, the First Lady might support her husband's agenda." More »

It Takes A Village

Anna Holmes — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:10:00 EDT

[Village of Mount Prospect, Illinois; May 26. Image via AP]

Get Into The Groove

Katy Kelleher — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:10:00 EDT

[Chicago; May 18, 1985. Image via Getty]

Read My Lips

Anna Holmes — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:15:00 EDT

[Rockford, Illinois; April 6. Image via Getty]

Hells Bells

Maria — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:20:00 EST

Hoo boy: douchebag and possible murderer Drew Peterson has gotten engaged to a 23-year-old woman from Illinois, making this (potentially) Peterson's fifth marriage. He is still legally married to his missing wife, Stacy. [Chicago Sun-Times] More »

Rod Blagojevich: Putting All Republi-Scandals To Shame

Megan Carpentier — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:40:00 EST

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is free tonight on $4,500 bail and has absolutely no intention of resigning after being indicted on massive corruption and extortion charges. [CNN, Politico, Chicago Tribune]
Barack Obama said he'd had no contact with Blagojevich over the Senatorial appointment Blagojevich apparently was attempting to sell. [Huffington Post]
Blagojevich did, apparently, attempt to trade with SIEU President Andy Stern the appointment of Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in exchange for a golden parachute into an SEIU-funded non-profit. Jarrett dropped out of the running shortly thereafter. [Marc Ambinder, Politico]
Contrary to early reports, Rahm Emanuel didn't tip off the U.S. Attorneys. [Talking Points Memo]