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Careful what you wish for

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Illinois

* Press release…

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today was joined by award-winning producer Dick Wolf, NBCUniversal executives, members of the film industry and unions in announcing that the City of Chicago has seen record TV filming production in 2016—a two-fold increase in TV shows filming here over last year. This year’s filming boost is due in large part to TV series selecting the city as the main stage for filming—with an unprecedented eight full-time major TV series filming across the city’s neighborhoods this year, and another two major series’ filming locally part time.

Additionally, while the city has recorded more than $1.3 billion in economic activity from film and commercial production since 2011, this year’s filming is expected to outpace economic benefits seen in previous years, contributing to local jobs and the livelihood of Chicago’s neighborhoods.

That is good news.

* However…

When the hit TV show “Empire” filmed scenes in Chicago last year, it lured big-name stars like Chris Rock to the Cook County juvenile detention center.

But relatives of two juveniles were far from star-struck. And now they’ve sued Twentieth Century Fox Television Inc., Cook County and others over the lockdown they say occurred when “enormous” film crews descended on the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center at Roosevelt and Ogden in the summer of 2015.

“The purpose of these lockdowns was to provide Fox with a realistic prison facility to use as the primary set of two highly profitable ‘Empire’ episodes,” their lawyers wrote in a 37-page federal complaint filed Wednesday. “The children at JTDC, meanwhile, were placed under restrictions more severe than those governing many adult jails.” […]

Meanwhile, the juveniles housed at the facility were relegated to their cell and “pod” areas and were required to sit in one place, according to the complaint. For one teen, “even to stand up without first obtaining permission was treated as a major rule violation.”

“There they were told to sit, for days on end,” lawyers wrote. “Their schooling continued in name only, visits from their families were interrupted, cut back, or effectively eliminated, sick-call requests were ignored, and programs that are intended to help them overcome the problems that landed them at the JTDC in the first place were cancelled or interrupted.”

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 11:44 am

Comments

Maybe if they hadn’t got themselves in trouble in the first place….

Comment by Winnin' Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 11:55 am
Chicago is a great location to be on “location”

Union work too…

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 11:56 am
Frivolous suit in an effort to profit from Twentieth Century Fox. The plaintiffs are probably banking on TCF settling out of court. CHA-CHING!

Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 11:58 am
wow, they are still keeping juveniles in custody?!?

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 11:59 am
- wow, they are still keeping juveniles in custody?!? -

Well some of them do (allegedly) shoot people, sexually assault people, etc. More and more are let out until trial but some just can’t be.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:05 pm
Amalia, how about they move in next to you. Not much difference between an 16 year old killer and a 18 year old one, or a drug dealer etc,etc.

Comment by Retired Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:07 pm
Doesn’t the state have a film office? Why don’t we ever hear good news out of it? What happened with the Guv’s suspension of those tax credits until there was a budget? Are those being processed and issued again with the stop-gap?

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:29 pm
Chicago needs the money so it will continue, but it could/should be done in a way that would not impose upon the imamates schooling & time with their family.

Comment by Mama Retired Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:29 pm
But just who shot who? At the copa (CO!) Copacabana (Copacabana)

Comment by New tv show and theme song Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:35 pm
When will Dick Wolf do a show on Bruce Rauner?

Comment by The Fool On The Hill Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:36 pm
Criminals playing the victims….again.

Comment by Shanks Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:39 pm
- When will Dick Wolf do a show on Bruce Rauner? -

I think Chicago Private Equity is on the list after Chicago Mob, Chicago Teacher, Chicago Plumber and Chicago Hot Dog Stand.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:40 pm
===Criminals playing the victims===

These are children, so they’re not defined as criminals.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:40 pm
===When will Dick Wolf do a show on Bruce Rauner?===

The rights to “Dad’s Home State” are HBO’s.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:42 pm
- These are children, so they’re not defined as criminals. -

Also these are children being held awaiting trial, so while they have been charged with serious offenses, they may not have a prior record. The facility has “Temporary” right in its title. If convicted they get sent elsewhere.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:44 pm
My bad, criminals wasn’t the right word of choice…innocent until proven guilty. But, I wouldn’t call them ‘children,’ maybe teenagers/ young adults, but I would imagine (or hope) that they are being detained for serious criminal offenses.

A lawsuit seems over the top though…

Comment by Shanks Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:55 pm
I’m so glad to live in a country with a legal system that has never arrested somebody who didn’t commit the crime they were accused of. I guess trials are a waste of time too. Just lock juvenile defenders away with no education. I’m sure when they get released they’ll come out and be a credit to society.

Comment by Carhartt Representative Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 12:58 pm
In full disclosure I have experience with this center. There is a public school onsite, and last I heard the average stay for a detainee is about three weeks, which limits the amount of work that can be done to improve their lives while there. Some stay much longer, but most do not.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 1:01 pm
@ Ron Burgundy and Retired, I should have typed SNARK next to my comment. as crazybleedingheart can inform you, I am one of those if they do the crime they must face the consequences persons. I am genuinely surprised (and happy) that the young “criminals” (delinquents) are in custody. Under Gov. Thompson several youth facilities (for after County custody) were turned into adult facilities so since the 1980s there have been fewer and fewer places in keep dangerous juveniles adjudicated as delinquent in custody. No, I don’t think they belong in the community!

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 1:04 pm
@amalia OK got it thanks. But the point is these juveniles at this center haven’t been adjudicated anything yet. It is akin to a jail, holding them before trial, rather than a prison.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 1:06 pm
@RonBurgundy, understood.

also thanks to you and Retired for giving me temporary cred as an uberliberal on this issue. my friends will find that very amusing!

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 1:10 pm
“I would imagine (or hope) that they are being detained for serious criminal offenses”

Hope in one hand…

“since the 1980s there have been fewer and fewer places in keep dangerous juveniles adjudicated as delinquent in custody.”

And crime rates have declined since the 1980s.

http://www.factcheck.org/2016/07/dueling-claims-on-crime-trend/

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 1:21 pm
Since you mentioned my name, Amalia: thanks for sharing that your information is current as of the Thompson administration. That helps me to understand you a great deal.

==Just lock juvenile defenders away with no education.==

Defenders? Ha, that certainly WOULD save the system a lot of time and bother.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 1:28 pm
I understand where these ‘kids’ are coming from since film crews use my hood pretty frequently. It’s annoying. Last week, we couldn’t use our alley for over 12 hrs. You’d think they would have at least cleaned it?
But, they are being detained to protect us from them.

Comment by Belle Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 2:47 pm
===But, they are being detained to protect us from them===

OK, I can stipulate to that.

But does that mean they should be forced to endure that stuff because of a silly TV show? C’mon. Where’s your humanity?

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 2:49 pm
@SHANKS……The Juvenile Temporary Detention Center provides temporary secure housing for youth from the age of 10 through 16 years, who are awaiting adjudication of their cases by the Juvenile Division of the Cook County Courts. The Center also provides care for youth who have been transferred from Juvenile Court jurisdiction to Criminal Court. These youth would otherwise be incarcerated in the county jail.

Comment by JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 2:55 pm
@crazybleedingheart, history is instructive!

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Aug 31, 16 @ 3:51 pm