Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 85,616 at the 2000 census. A 2003 Census estimate showed the population dipped to 79,029. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman orator. Originally, Cicero Township occupied six times its current territory. Weak political leadership and town services resulted in cities such as Oak Park and Berwyn voting to split off from Cicero, and other portions such as Austin were annexed into the city of Chicago . Al Capone built his criminal empire in Chicago before moving to Cicero to escape the reach of Chicago police. The 1980s and 1990s saw a heavy influx of Hispanic residents to Cicero. Once considered mainly a Czech or Bohemian town on 22nd Street, most of the European-style restaurants and shops have been replaced by Spanish-titled businesses. Cicero most recently is seeing a new influx of residents, mostly Polish. Cicero also has seen a revival in its commercial sector, with many brand-new mini-malls and large retail stores. New condominiums are also being built in Cicero, ranging in price from $150,000 to $300,000. Cicero has long had a reputation of government scandal. Most recently, Town President Betty Loren-Maltese was sent to federal prison for misappropriating funds . She was well-liked by retired, long-term Cicero residents, but was continually challenged by younger Hispanic opponents before her indictment. Cicero was taken up and abandoned several times as site for a civil rights march in the mid-1960s. The American Friends Service Committee, the Rev. Martin Luther King, and many affiliated organizations, including churches, were conducting marches against housing and school de facto segregation and inequality in Chicago and several suburbs, but the leaders feared too violent a response in Chicago Lawn and Cicero. Eventually, a substantial march (met by catcalls, flying bottles and bricks) was conducted in Chicago Lawn, but only a splinter group, led by Rev. Jesse Jackson, marched in Cicero .

Civil Rights Law Lawyers In Cicero Illinois

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What is civil rights law?

A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual preference. Civil rights attorneys handle cases involving the rights of individuals to be free from unequal treatment (or discrimination) based on legally-protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and religion. Civil rights cases can arise in a number of settings -- including employment, housing, lending, and education.

Answers to civil rights law issues in Illinois

Under federal laws, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person's...

The law forbids discrimination because of...

It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include "...

Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the...

The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need...

It is illegal to fire, demote, refuse to promote, harass, or otherwise “retaliate” against people (applicants or...

Your battle to beat a ticket or worse begins the instant you realize you're being pulled over by a police officer....

In certain kinds of cases, lawyers charge what is called a contingency fee. Instead of billing by the hour, the...