Urbana Spent $30K Unlawfully Concealing Police Use of Force Records – Illinois
The City of Urbana, Illinois has now spent over $30,000 in their efforts to keep police use of force records secret, only to eventually release them in a lawsuit settlement. This story started almost exactly two years ago, when Check CU requested records from the City related to instances where police used force, such as beating, pointing pistols at, or firing stun guns at suspects. The records request was made on January 29th, 2022, and the City provided some records, but denied others....
About Check CU
This non-profit site was established to aid in disseminating information about relevant issues in the Champaign-Urbana area. Transparency and access to public records is paramount to functioning government and since the public bodies within CU are failing in that regard, civilians must do the work. If you have files or documents that are of public interest, please consider sending them to Check CU so that we can make them publicly accessible.
-Christopher Hansen, Founder
Latest articles
Council Failure to Approve Meeting Minutes a Years-Long Problem – Urbana, Illinois
Urbana, Illinois City Attorney (right) argues that the City of Urbana is not required to post meeting minutes online because, according to him, the City website is not maintained by full-time staff. (also pictured: Council member James Quisenberry, City Administrator...
Urbana Mayor Admits Secret Meeting was OMA Violation – Illinois
Urbana, Illinois Mayor Diane Marlin issued a letter on January 4th acknowledging that part of a Plan Commission meeting she attended last month was unlawfully closed to the public (Photo by ILDocs.com) Less than 24 hours after the Illinois Attorney General...
Urbana Plan Commission Investigated by AG for Unlawful Closed Meeting – Illinois
Members of the Urbana, Illinois Plan Commission began to leave the Council Chambers to hold a closed meeting in the 2nd floor conference room. (top right: City Attorney David Wesner, Mayor Diane Marlin, and a City staff member) The Illinois Attorney General has...
AG: Secret School Board Meeting on Book Banning was Illegal – Yorkville, Illinois
Yorkville District 115 School Board President Darren Crawford (left) swears in a new Board member (October 30, 2023) On August 7th, 2023, the members of the Yorkville, Illinois Community School District 115 Board of Education entered into a meeting which was entirely...
City Ignores AG Directive to Provide Records on Police Chief – Urbana, Illinois
Urbana, Illinois Police Chief Larry Boone (left) with Champaign Police Chief Tim Tyler (right) The City of Urbana, Illinois seems to be doubling down on an unlawful Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) denial issued in April of 2023. We had asked for records on...
U of I Illegally Concealed Locations of License Plate Cameras – Illinois
Sample images from University of Illinois license plate readers, as well as their locations According to a determination issued by the Illinois Attorney General, the University of Illinois violated state law when they refused to provide information about their...
Plan Commission Holds Questionable Closed Meeting – Urbana, Illinois
Members of the Urbana, Illinois Plan Commission began to leave the Council Chambers to hold a closed meeting in the 2nd floor conference room. (top right: City Attorney David Wesner, Mayor Diane Marlin, and a City staff member) We were recently alerted to a highly...
City Pays $4K, Cedes Records, in Champaign County Community Coalition Lawsuit – Champaign, Illinois
After initially denying a public records request, the City of Champaign, Illinois agreed to provide the records and pay the legal fees incurred by Check CU founder Christopher Hansen in response to an associated lawsuit. In March of 2022, Check CU published an article...
City Spends $185k Renovating & Outfitting Privately Owned Building – Urbana, Illinois
The Cohen Building at 136 West Main Street in downtown Urbana. The entire second floor has been leased to the City of Urbana since January of 2023. In January of 2023, the Urbana, Illinois City Council approved an agreement to rent the 2nd floor of the Cohen Building...
String of Muggings Still Unsolved – Urbana, Illinois
This individual was seen stalking a woman in West Urbana, then running from the location of a mugging moments later. His clothing and description match that given by the victim. Click here for full resolution image. If you know who this person is, please contact the...
Council Delays Police Expansion Plan – Urbana, Illinois
Urbana City Staff present their police expansion plan at a City Council meeting on December 4th, 2023 (left to right: Finance Director Elizabeth Hannan, Chief of Police Larry Boone, Deputy Chief of Police Richard Surles After substantial public pushback and the...
AG: Urbana Illegally Concealed Records on Police Chief
Urbana, Illinois Police Chief Larry Boone (left) The City of Urbana, Illinois has violated public records laws once again, according to the Illinois Attorney General. Nearly six months ago, Check CU published an article showing that Urbana officials were going out of...
City Stomps on ‘No Mow May’ with Strict Enforcement – Urbana, Illinois
The City of Urbana, Illinois apparently has no tolerance for relaxed lawn care, even during the internationally promoted “No Mow May” movement. Check CU has learned that Urbana City inspectors are out and about, armed with wooden yardsticks, and they mean...
Urbana Stays Secretive on Police Chief Finalist – Illinois
Urbana Police Chief Finalist Larry Boone The City of Urbana, Illinois appears to be continuing their tradition of extreme secrecy in regards to the operations and planning of their police department. Nearly one month ago, Mayor Diane Marlin announced her choice...
State’s Attorney Objects to Media Coverage of Cop Turned Felon – Champaign, Illinois
Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz After learning that University of Illinois Police Officer Jerald Sandage would be returning to court for new criminal charges (in addition to the felony official misconduct charges he was convicted of last year), Check CU...
AG to Investigate Urbana Board of Education School Closure Meeting – Urbana, Illinois
The Urbana School District #116 Meeting on February 21st, 2023 A recent decision by the Urbana School District #116 Board of Education to close an elementary school has brought heavy criticism from the public, along with some troubling questions about the legality of...
Urbana Mayor Selects Police Chief Finalist – Illinois
Retired Norfolk, VA Police Chief Larry Boone is Urbana's sole finalist for their new Police Chief The City of Urbana, Illinois seems to have finally settled on a new police chief after becoming aware of the vacancy more than fourteen months ago. On Monday evening,...
Not a Shred of Evidence to Support Urbana Mayor’s Claims on Police Review Board – Illinois
Mayor Diane Marlin (right) claimed that the Urbana Police Department had made commitments to improve civilian police review, but the City can't find any records of those commitments At the March 13th, 2023 Urbana City Council meeting, right before splitting a tie vote...
Latest records
Illinois Attorney General Binding Opinion: McHenry County Blog Qualifies as News Media for FOIA (2017 PAC 46249)
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Open in new tab 2015 PAC 37249 – Request for Review of Danville Housing Task Force FOIA Response
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2018 PAC 53979 – PAC Determination on Request for Review of FOIA Response by City of Crystal Lake Police Department
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Sandefur v. Village of Hanover Park, Opinion and Order (Case Cited by Urbana City Attorney James Simon to Justify Public Input Restrictions)
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I.A. Rana Enterprises, Inc. v. Chicago Board of Education, Opinion and Order (Case Cited by Urbana City Attorney James Simon to Justify Public Input Restrictions)
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