A new book by Georgetown law professor Randy Barnett is shedding light on one of the most turbulent periods in Chicago’s criminal justice history, offering a firsthand account of courtroom corruption, gang violence, and the inner workings of a prosecutor’s office during a time of sweeping federal investigations.
Barnett’s book, Felony Review: Tales of True Crime and Corruption in Chicago, draws on his experiences as a young Cook County assistant state’s attorney in the 1970s and early 1980s, a period he describes as both the height of professionalism within the prosecutor’s office and a peak era of systemic corruption in the broader court system.
Barnett said he entered the role with a deep interest in criminal law, choosing prosecution over more lucrative legal paths after graduating from Harvard Law School. He described the experience as formative, providing an unfiltered view of how justice is administered at street level.
Central to the book is Barnett’s time in Chicago’s felony review unit, a specialized division in which prosecutors worked directly with police inside district stations to determine whether felony charges should be filed. The role required prosecutors to respond in real time to investigations, interview witnesses and suspects, and assess the strength of cases before they entered the court system.
“It gave me a view of the criminal justice system that most lawyers never see,” Barnett said.
The book also explores the widespread corruption that existed in Cook County courts at the time, culminating in the federal Operation Greylord investigation, which led to the indictment of dozens of judges, attorneys, and public officials. Barnett said the investigation confirmed what many prosecutors suspected but felt powerless to challenge.
“There was a sense that certain judges operated with complete immunity,” he said, adding that federal intervention ultimately played a critical role in restoring accountability.
Barnett credited the Cook County state’s attorney’s office of that era with maintaining high professional standards despite the surrounding corruption, describing his colleagues and supervisors as skilled and principled trial lawyers.
The contrast between a disciplined prosecutorial culture and a compromised court system is a central theme of the book, which also recounts specific cases involving violent crime and gang activity in Chicago.
One such case detailed in the book involves a triple murder tied to gang violence, illustrating both the brutality of the crimes prosecutors faced and the mindset of offenders. Barnett said those experiences underscored the importance of a justice system capable of addressing repeat violent offenders effectively.
He also reflected on systemic challenges that persist today, including how juvenile justice and misdemeanor courts handle offenders. Barnett argued that leniency in those areas can contribute to more serious crimes later, as individuals cycle through the system without meaningful consequences.
“People learn from the system,” he said. “If there are no consequences early, that carries forward.”
Barnett expressed concern about what he sees as a decline in prosecutorial standards in more recent years, particularly in large urban jurisdictions. He pointed to politicization within prosecutors’ offices as a factor that can undermine consistency and public confidence in the justice system.
At the same time, he acknowledged that corruption today is less overt than in the era of Operation Greylord, when direct bribery and case-fixing were more common. He said modern concerns are more likely to involve influence, connections, and uneven application of the law.
The book arrives as debates continue nationwide over crime policy, prosecutorial discretion, and the balance between enforcement and reform. Barnett said his goal is to provide readers with a clearer understanding of how the system operates in practice, beyond public perception.
“Most people don’t see how these decisions get made,” he said. “I wanted to show what it actually looks like.”
Through detailed accounts of cases, courtroom dynamics, and institutional challenges, Barnett’s book offers a window into a period that reshaped Chicago’s legal system and continues to inform discussions about crime and justice today.