Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Announces New Conviction Review Unit and Leadership
CHICAGO - The Cook County State’s Attorney's Office (CCSAO) today announced the rebranding of its Conviction Integrity Unit to the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) under the new leadership of Michelle Mbekeani. The change reflects the Office’s continued commitment to addressing historic inequities in the justice system and its ongoing mission to ensure fairness and integrity in the pursuit of justice.
The new Conviction Review Unit marks the second overhaul State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has implemented since taking office. The first revamp resulted in the overturning of 250 cases, including the first-ever mass exoneration in Cook County for 15 men whose convictions stemmed from the misconduct of a former Chicago Police Officer. As reported earlier this year, Illinois has led the nation in criminal exonerations for five of the past six years due to the work of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office under Kim Foxx.
“The establishment of the Conviction Review Unit is not just a name change; it represents a shift in our approach towards rectifying the wrongs of the past, ensuring fairness in our justice system, and incorporating community voices in our decisions,” said State’s Attorney Foxx. “Our work has already led to significant strides, and this move further symbolizes our promise to the people we serve that we will continue to review, rectify, and restore justice, especially in cases marred by historical injustices and misconduct. The Conviction Review Unit stands as a beacon of hope and a testament to our dedication to turning the tide against systemic inequities and rebuilding trust in our legal system."
CRU’s director, Michelle Mbekeani, joined the CCSAO as a Senior Legal and Policy Advisor in 2018. In this role, Mbekeani worked alongside the National Innocence Project, the Center on Wrongful Convictions, and the Illinois Innocence Project, leading lobbying efforts for first-of-its-kind legislation prohibiting law enforcement from using deceptive tactics when interrogating minors in custody. Mbekeani also argued Illinois' first successful prosecutor-initiated resentencing case, which resulted in the early release of an individual sentenced to an excessive 44-year sentence for a drug conviction.
Mbekeani previously served as a Community Justice Staff Attorney at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, where she focused on police, prison, and criminal justice reform. She both co-authored and lobbied Springfield legislation to create the nation's first internal jail polling station, allowing individuals incarcerated pretrial to vote.
In 2020, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker appointed Mbekeani to serve as a Commissioner on the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission. Mbekeani holds an undergraduate degree in German Language and Literature, Political Science, and Middle Eastern Studies from Stony Brook University and earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 2014. She is currently a University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA student focusing on strategic management and economics.
“I am deeply honored to lead the Conviction Review Unit, a culmination of my life’s work thus far in criminal justice reform,” said Mbekeani. “My experiences, from advocating for wrongfully convicted individuals and their rights to initiating groundbreaking legislative reforms, have uniquely prepared me for this role. I am committed to upholding justice, addressing historical inequities, and ensuring that our legal system represents fairness and integrity for all."
Under Mbekeani, CRU will operate under the principle of participatory justice, recognizing the vital role of community members, advocates, and families in the judicial process. This approach has been instrumental in recent petitions that the office will announce later this month. Mbekeani will oversee a staff of eight, including two deputy supervisors, Nancy Adduci, and Iris Ferosie.
"Michelle's appointment as the leader of the Conviction Review Unit marks a significant step forward in our wrongful conviction work,” remarked State’s Attorney Foxx. “Her vast experience in reform advocacy and legal expertise are invaluable assets. I am confident that under her guidance, the CRU will make strides in giving life and opportunity back to those our system has failed."
The revamped Conviction Review Unit is the latest effort by State's Attorney Foxx to revisit past convictions unjustly influenced by systemic issues and repair trust in the legal system. In addition to overturning 250 wrongful convictions linked to police misconduct, under her leadership the Office has also expunged over 15,000 cannabis convictions following its legalization in Illinois, marking a significant step towards restorative justice.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office and is led by Cook County’s first Black woman State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx. Foxx brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Cook County, no matter their race, income, or zip code. Foxx has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to intercept the cycles of violence and crime and bringing change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow @SAKimFoxx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and @CookCountySAO on Twitter and Facebook.