In Cleveland, thousands of arraignments happen every year at the Justice Center. It’s an early step for people facing criminal charges. The court makes sure a person has an attorney, decides on bail and one of 34 county judges is picked to oversee the case. Learn more about the steps in the process.

Managing Editor (she/her)
I foster civic and accountability reporting that is inspired by and responsive to community questions, curiosity and demand so Clevelanders have the opportunities they deserve to understand and participate in local democracy and build power.

Ilica Mahajan is a computational journalist at The Marshall Project. She builds tools and analyzes data to uncover the complexities of the criminal justice system. As a part of the Testify series, she’s wrangled more than 70,000 records from criminal cases in Cuyahoga County to help residents better understand how the justice system works.

The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. Through a partnership with Signal Cleveland, The Marshall Project is weaving more resident voices into its reporting and building an understanding about how the justice system works — and doesn’t work — in Cleveland.