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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
Urbana Police Sued Again Over Use of Force Records
A second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit has been filed this month against the City of Urbana, Illinois and the Urbana Police Department. The complaint, filed on behalf of Check CU Founder Christopher Hansen on April 14th, alleges the following: The...
Rantoul Mayor Calls for Police to Remove Resident from Board Meeting
Rantoul Police Chief Tony Brown, Sergeant Jerry King, and Officer Jose Aceves approach resident Wendell Golston after Mayor Charles Smith called for him to be removed for speaking too long. The April 12th meeting of the Ranoul Village Board almost turned into a...
Police Records Lawsuit Names Urbana, Rantoul, Champaign State’s Attorney (Illinois)
A lawsuit filed last week alleges willful and repeated violations of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by several public bodies in Champaign County. The City of Urbana, the Village of Rantoul, and the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office are...
Rantoul Officials Unlawfully Delay FOIA Requests for Months
Village of Rantoul Illinois Officials: Village Clerk and FOIA Officer Janet Gray, Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer, Village Attorney David Wesner, Police Chief Tony Brown Rantoul, Illinois Village Officials appear to be more concerned with finding ways to deny...
Urbana Stops Tracking Police Use of Force Incidents
Urbana, Illinois Police Chief Bryant Seraphin (now resigned) and Deputy Chief Richard Surles (now Interim Chief) present to the City Council on increased police use of force at the August 23rd, 2021 Council meeting The Urbana, Illinois Police Department appears to...
After Nearly One Year, Urbana Council Agrees on Goals
More than eleven months into their four year terms, the Urbana, Illinois City Council has finally agreed on a set of goals to work toward during 2022 and 2023. After a number of failed attempts, the Council finally voted to approve a list of goals at their April 11th...
Urbana Officials Unlawfully Delay FOIA Requests for Months
Urbana, Illinois City Officials appear to be more concerned with finding ways to deny and delay public records requests than they are with providing the actual records. The City routinely takes months to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from...
Champaign Police Chief Finalists: What Differentiates You From the Other Candidates?
Police Chief finalist Angela Coonce (right) speaks to members of the public at an open house on March 29th. Amber Oberheim (left) presses Coonce on distinctions between short-term and long-term solutions to increasing gun crime. Mrs. Oberheim's husband, a Champaign...
Urbana Council Ignores Residents’ Pleas for FOIA Compliance
University of Illinois PhD graduate and Urbana resident Tracy Chong speaks during public input about FOIA violations The Urbana, Illinois City Council shows no signs of changing their well-established practice of ignoring residents’ reports of Freedom of Information...
Urbana Police Deny Records on TASER & Beating Incident
On January 29th, 2022 Check CU requested a number of records involving police use of force from the City of Urbana, Illinois. The Urbana Police Department is still refusing to release some police reports and they have refused to release the names of police...
Champaign State’s Attorney Denies Records on Year-Long False Prosecution, Imprisonment of Two Men
Champaign, Illinois County Courthouse (photo by ILDocs.com) The Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office has repeatedly refused to supply records related to the malicious prosecution of two men – a prosecution based on falsified evidence which left them imprisoned...
Urbana, Illinois Police Unlawfully Destroyed 40 Years of Complaints Against Officers
Research by Check CU has revealed what can only be described as the felony destruction of public records by Urbana Police Officers. Throughout 2020, amidst the nationwide demands for police reform, Urbana, Illinois residents took up similar causes with their local...
City of Champaign Sued for Denying Police Complaint Records
(Champaign, Illinois City Building - Photo by ILDocs.com) On March 21st, 2022 Check CU asked the City of Champaign, Illinois to provide copies of complaints submitted against police officers in 2021 and 2022. Three days later, City Clerk Shannon Myers fully denied...
Champaign Police Department Fails to Investigate Complaints Against Officers
Champaign Police Officers Kevin Olmstead (left) and Bruce Ramseyer (right) at the January 8th, 2020 meeting of the Citizen Review Subcommittee meeting. On that date, Ramseyer passed his police complaint review responsibilities over to Olmstead. Check CU recently...
Champaign, Illinois Denies 2021-2022 Police Complaint Records
On March 21st, 2022 Check CU Founder Christopher Hansen asked the City of Champaign, Illinois to provide copies of complaints submitted against police officers in 2021 and 2022. Three days later, City Clerk Shannon Myers fully denied the request. Myers claimed...
Urbana, Illinois Council Still Confused about Public Input for Open Meetings
Urbana, Illinois City Council member for Ward 7 James Quisenberry at the April 4th, 2022 Council meeting Since mid-2021, residents have been making requests to the Urbana, Illinois City Council to allow remote public input at their in-person meetings in the same way...
Urbana Council Ignores Unlawful Records Denial Scheme
Urbana, Illinois Mayor Diane Marlin and Council members Jaya Kolisetty, Grace Wilken, Christopher Evans, James Quisenberry, Shirese Hursey, Chaundra Bishop, and Maryalice Wu The entire Urbana, Illinois City Council seems content simply ignoring numerous public records...
“Rantoul Fundamentally Misunderstands the Premise of FOIA Cases” – FOIA Attorney
On December 16th, 2021 Check CU Founder Christopher Hansen filed a lawsuit against the Village of Rantoul alleging violations of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Rantoul unlawfully denied access to copies of complaints against police officers, and...
Latest records
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