Maya Dukmasova
@mdoukmas.bsky.social
Senior reporter at Injustice Watch. Citizen of Flavortown. Chicago Reader alum. Send your courts tips.
Headshot: Varvara Mikushkina
Cover photo: Brian Cassella
Headshot: Varvara Mikushkina
Cover photo: Brian Cassella
We're taking applications for this position for another couple of weeks! I really can't say enough good things about working at IW, we have incredible benefits and fantastic pay and a really positive and healthy workplace culture. Apply and spread the word!
January 20, 2026 at 10:22 PM
We're taking applications for this position for another couple of weeks! I really can't say enough good things about working at IW, we have incredible benefits and fantastic pay and a really positive and healthy workplace culture. Apply and spread the word!
Looking forward to this conversation with @aliceyin.bsky.social and @ctoner.bsky.social and people interested in Chicago journalism on Friday night!
January 13, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Looking forward to this conversation with @aliceyin.bsky.social and @ctoner.bsky.social and people interested in Chicago journalism on Friday night!
Very amusing to watch dads losing their shit at a trampoline park when their kids say 6 7. Why are you feeling so threatened by children's culture my man
December 28, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Very amusing to watch dads losing their shit at a trampoline park when their kids say 6 7. Why are you feeling so threatened by children's culture my man
I've been to two book stores and three grocery stores in Syracuse NY today and cannot find an issue of the New Yorker anywhere 🥴
December 23, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I've been to two book stores and three grocery stores in Syracuse NY today and cannot find an issue of the New Yorker anywhere 🥴
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
“Gantchev suffered from type 2 diabetes and told his wife no diet accommodations were made for him. She and Anna said the small amount of food that is given to people detained at North Lake was not enough for maintaining Gantchev's blood sugar levels.”
Bulgarian Chicago business owner dies in ICE custody, sparking calls for 'immediate investigation'
https://abc7chicago.com/post/bulgarian-chicago-business-owner-nenko-gantchev-dies-ice-custody-family-congresswoman-call-immediate-investigation/18301520/
https://abc7chicago.com/post/bulgarian-chicago-business-owner-nenko-gantchev-dies-ice-custody-family-congresswoman-call-immediate-investigation/18301520/
Bulgarian Chicago business owner dies in ICE custody, sparking calls for 'immediate investigation'
A Bulgarian man from Chicago arrested during an immigration enforcement 'blitz' has died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a Michigan private prison, the ABC7 I-Team has learned.
abc7chicago.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:04 AM
“Gantchev suffered from type 2 diabetes and told his wife no diet accommodations were made for him. She and Anna said the small amount of food that is given to people detained at North Lake was not enough for maintaining Gantchev's blood sugar levels.”
Psst...we're hiring an editor in chief!
www.injusticewatch.org/about/editor...
www.injusticewatch.org/about/editor...
Editor in Chief
Editor in Chief Injustice Watch is seeking an Editor in Chief to lead our nonprofit newsroom. The ideal candidate is an experienced manager and editor
www.injusticewatch.org
December 20, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Psst...we're hiring an editor in chief!
www.injusticewatch.org/about/editor...
www.injusticewatch.org/about/editor...
“This is the saddest part about being an immigrant — that one strives to do the best job you can … and then we don’t get paid,” the worker said in between sobs.
Gut-wrenching new investigation from @writeralejandra.bsky.social Wage theft in Illinois is rampant
www.injusticewatch.org/project/wait...
Gut-wrenching new investigation from @writeralejandra.bsky.social Wage theft in Illinois is rampant
www.injusticewatch.org/project/wait...
Illinois fails to collect wages owed to workers in Cook County
Wage theft cases get stalled out in Cook County Court, where it can take years for workers to receive payment they're owed — if they receive it at all.
www.injusticewatch.org
December 17, 2025 at 11:12 PM
“This is the saddest part about being an immigrant — that one strives to do the best job you can … and then we don’t get paid,” the worker said in between sobs.
Gut-wrenching new investigation from @writeralejandra.bsky.social Wage theft in Illinois is rampant
www.injusticewatch.org/project/wait...
Gut-wrenching new investigation from @writeralejandra.bsky.social Wage theft in Illinois is rampant
www.injusticewatch.org/project/wait...
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
👇👇At 7500 S Shore, tenants still traumatized by the military-style raid on their building are being forced out.
Maya's points here are critical, and the problem is likely to get worse given rising financial distress, as discussed here by @cplusc.bsky.social climateandcommunity.org/research/fin...
Maya's points here are critical, and the problem is likely to get worse given rising financial distress, as discussed here by @cplusc.bsky.social climateandcommunity.org/research/fin...
December 11, 2025 at 9:57 PM
👇👇At 7500 S Shore, tenants still traumatized by the military-style raid on their building are being forced out.
Maya's points here are critical, and the problem is likely to get worse given rising financial distress, as discussed here by @cplusc.bsky.social climateandcommunity.org/research/fin...
Maya's points here are critical, and the problem is likely to get worse given rising financial distress, as discussed here by @cplusc.bsky.social climateandcommunity.org/research/fin...
Just a reminder that we're still accepting any and all tips regarding the people running for judge in Cook County in the March primary! Take a look at the names here and share anything you'd like us to know. Responses are confidential! airtable.com/appG8uZvhvgY...
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airtable.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Just a reminder that we're still accepting any and all tips regarding the people running for judge in Cook County in the March primary! Take a look at the names here and share anything you'd like us to know. Responses are confidential! airtable.com/appG8uZvhvgY...
The situation at 7500 s South Shore, the building raided by ICE, is really an illustration of our broken building code enforcement system that @writeralejandra.bsky.social and I extensively documented in The Tenant Trap:
www.injusticewatch.org/project/tena...
Here's why:
www.injusticewatch.org/project/tena...
Here's why:
Rising rents, unlivable apartments leave tenants desperate, confused, and often helpless
An Injustice Watch investigation found thousands of buildings with chronic code violations and a court system that protects landlords over tenants.
www.injusticewatch.org
December 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
The situation at 7500 s South Shore, the building raided by ICE, is really an illustration of our broken building code enforcement system that @writeralejandra.bsky.social and I extensively documented in The Tenant Trap:
www.injusticewatch.org/project/tena...
Here's why:
www.injusticewatch.org/project/tena...
Here's why:
ICYM the Cook County court Friday night news dump: at the end of his first week in office Chief Judge Beach axed three presiding judges:
December 6, 2025 at 1:51 PM
ICYM the Cook County court Friday night news dump: at the end of his first week in office Chief Judge Beach axed three presiding judges:
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
I'm not exaggerating when I say following @boltsmag.org rn will unlock money for our journalism.
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
December 6, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I'm not exaggerating when I say following @boltsmag.org rn will unlock money for our journalism.
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
@injusticewatch.org is out with an encyclopedic take by @mdoukmas.bsky.social on Timothy Evans, low-key one of the most consequential Chicagoans of the last 50 years.
Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova spent months interviewing dozens of people to learn what Timothy Evans, Cook County’s outgoing chief judge, will be remembered for. (with @chicagomag.com) buff.ly/I8R6R5I
How chief judge Timothy Evans shaped the Cook County courts
For 24 years, Timothy Evans led the Cook County Circuit Court through major reforms and policy changes.
buff.ly
December 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM
@injusticewatch.org is out with an encyclopedic take by @mdoukmas.bsky.social on Timothy Evans, low-key one of the most consequential Chicagoans of the last 50 years.
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova spent months interviewing dozens of people to learn what Timothy Evans, Cook County’s outgoing chief judge, will be remembered for. (with @chicagomag.com) buff.ly/I8R6R5I
How chief judge Timothy Evans shaped the Cook County courts
For 24 years, Timothy Evans led the Cook County Circuit Court through major reforms and policy changes.
buff.ly
December 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Senior reporter Maya Dukmasova spent months interviewing dozens of people to learn what Timothy Evans, Cook County’s outgoing chief judge, will be remembered for. (with @chicagomag.com) buff.ly/I8R6R5I
It's #GivingNewsDay and it's the perfect day to send some of your coins to @injusticewatch.org! Support our trailblazing journalism about your local courts, we are the only news org in Chicago dedicated to investigative reporting about the judicial branch of government!
www.injusticewatch.org/donate
www.injusticewatch.org/donate
Support our Work
Injustice Watch is a non-partisan, nonprofit journalism organization, and your tax-deductible financial support enables our in-depth investigations.
www.injusticewatch.org
December 2, 2025 at 5:21 PM
It's #GivingNewsDay and it's the perfect day to send some of your coins to @injusticewatch.org! Support our trailblazing journalism about your local courts, we are the only news org in Chicago dedicated to investigative reporting about the judicial branch of government!
www.injusticewatch.org/donate
www.injusticewatch.org/donate
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
This story by @mdoukmas.bsky.social is not only a deeply reported, behind-the-scenes look at the man who’s steered Cook County’s courts for the last quarter century — it’s also a master class in profile writing. Make time to read it!
If you live in the Chicago area, the chief judge of Cook County might be the most consequential local official you've never heard of. The position has been held by one man — Timothy Evans — for the past 24 years. Read the latest from us and @chicagomag.com: buff.ly/I8R6R5I
How chief judge Timothy Evans shaped the Cook County courts
For 24 years, Timothy Evans led the Cook County Circuit Court through major reforms and policy changes.
buff.ly
December 2, 2025 at 2:19 PM
This story by @mdoukmas.bsky.social is not only a deeply reported, behind-the-scenes look at the man who’s steered Cook County’s courts for the last quarter century — it’s also a master class in profile writing. Make time to read it!
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
To learn more about the court he’s inheriting and the man who’s shaped it for the past quarter-century, check out @mdoukmas.bsky.social’s latest: www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...
December 1, 2025 at 11:10 PM
To learn more about the court he’s inheriting and the man who’s shaped it for the past quarter-century, check out @mdoukmas.bsky.social’s latest: www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...
This one goes out to my friend and former colleague Ben Joravsky, who taught me most of what I know about Chicago politics. And to all the @injusticewatch.org fans who read us to understand our courts. I've been waiting to write this story for almost a decade!
www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...
www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...
How chief judge Timothy Evans shaped the Cook County courts
For 24 years, Timothy Evans led the Cook County Circuit Court through major reforms and policy changes.
www.injusticewatch.org
December 1, 2025 at 12:25 PM
This one goes out to my friend and former colleague Ben Joravsky, who taught me most of what I know about Chicago politics. And to all the @injusticewatch.org fans who read us to understand our courts. I've been waiting to write this story for almost a decade!
www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...
www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...
Got a real treat dropping for all you Chicago politics nerds tomorrow
December 1, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Got a real treat dropping for all you Chicago politics nerds tomorrow
I hate the term "hallucinate" vis a vis false AI outputs. It's another way we're being primed to view it as a mind way before it's proven to be anything but a product. Human hallucinations are not "real" but they're not false in the way that wrong facts are. Anyone read anything good on this theme?
November 30, 2025 at 3:33 AM
I hate the term "hallucinate" vis a vis false AI outputs. It's another way we're being primed to view it as a mind way before it's proven to be anything but a product. Human hallucinations are not "real" but they're not false in the way that wrong facts are. Anyone read anything good on this theme?
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
chat are we cooked
November 29, 2025 at 3:42 PM
chat are we cooked
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
The Christkindlmarkt thing is so funny top to bottom. America so starved for vibrant public spaces and events that this winter craft fair gets Disneyland-level regional demand, and this is seen as a problem to be solved with cops and security
November 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The Christkindlmarkt thing is so funny top to bottom. America so starved for vibrant public spaces and events that this winter craft fair gets Disneyland-level regional demand, and this is seen as a problem to be solved with cops and security
Hey instead of buying more plastic how about spending your hard earned cash on supporting local journalism?! @injusticewatch.org is celebrating our 10th birthday next week and we're throwing a bday party every 10 year old can only dream of: bowling, magic, prizes, and grownup drinks. Come out!
Join us Dec. 4 at Avondale Bowl to celebrate Injustice Watch's 10th birthday. Tickets include food, cocktails, bowling, magic, and more — and will help fuel the next decade of judicial election guides and impactful investigative journalism. buff.ly/T0E1oy8
November 28, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Hey instead of buying more plastic how about spending your hard earned cash on supporting local journalism?! @injusticewatch.org is celebrating our 10th birthday next week and we're throwing a bday party every 10 year old can only dream of: bowling, magic, prizes, and grownup drinks. Come out!
Really need Chicago legal community to come through with TIPS and info about these people running for judge!! The survey is confidential!
Most people running for Cook County judge seats in March are currently attorneys. Do you have experience working with them? Inform our next judicial election guide by sending your tips!
As we work on our next judicial election guide, we want to hear from you: What should voters know about these attorneys and judges? If you recognize any of these names, send us your tips. buff.ly/DlOqYRA
November 27, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Really need Chicago legal community to come through with TIPS and info about these people running for judge!! The survey is confidential!
Reposted by Maya Dukmasova
"I had not touched a cat in 15 years when an orange kitten wandered over to sit with me in the grass one day. I was left without adequate words to describe that experience. It reminded me that I am alive."
When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in 15 Years
I had not touched a cat in 15 years when an orange kitten wandered over to sit with me in the grass.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 31, 2025 at 3:32 AM
"I had not touched a cat in 15 years when an orange kitten wandered over to sit with me in the grass one day. I was left without adequate words to describe that experience. It reminded me that I am alive."