Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County

Electronic communications/Internet devices ban goes into effect April 15 at 26th and California

mcarroll — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:47:56 GMT

First courthouse in system-wide rolling implementation

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that starting Monday, April 15, 2013, the court will begin the enforcement of the full ban on all electronic communications and Internet devices at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26^th and California.

The ban, which was announced on January 11, 2013, is designed to go into effect in all 13 Circuit Court of Cook County courthouses (excluding the Richard J. Daley Center). Chief Judge Evans will institute a rolling implementation of the ban in the remaining 12 courthouses once the Cook County Real Estate Division secures the onsite storage necessary to meet the Office of the Cook County Sheriff’s security requirements.

“This ban is important to uphold our justice system and the safety of our courts,” said Chief Judge Evans. “Intimidation will not be tolerated. Personal recording devices and cameras are not permitted in Illinois courtrooms.”

“I wish we could enact the ban in all 13 courthouses immediately. However, from the court’s view, it makes more sense to begin enforcement of the ban at the Leighton Criminal Court Building where the potential for security breaches is highest due to the sheer volume of cases heard there seven days a week.

“Of course the judges and I understand the ban presents an inconvenience for the public. I wish it were possible to just say to the people coming to court, “Please turn off your phones and devices.” The simple fact is we have tried that, and it does not work. People either ignore or refuse to comply with the judges’ directions; and the Sheriff’s staff has confirmed that their deputies cannot prevent the misuse of these devices in the courtrooms.

“It always must be remembered that a criminal case is a serious, solemn proceeding. A defendant’s liberty, or even life, is at stake. Often victims of crimes are in court. There should be no interruption of testimony by ringing phones and no texting of testimony to witnesses waiting to testify. Most important, no juror or witness should ever be afraid because a defendant’s supporters are taking their pictures.”

Anyone coming to the Leighton Criminal Court Building is strongly encouraged to leave all electronic communications and Internet devices at home to avoid delays at the courthouse security checkpoint. Sheriff’s personnel will direct persons with such devices who drove to court to return to their vehicles to store devices while public transit users will be directed to a limited number of storage vending machines that are provided by Cook County.

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Certain persons are exempted from the ban as follows, upon presentation of the required identification, credentials, or authorization, as determined by the Cook County Sheriff:

persons with disabilities, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, who require electronic devices for effective communication;
current or former judges;
licensed attorneys;
members of the news media;
local, state, and federal law enforcement officers;
employees of any local, state, or federal government agencies or offices;
any person reporting for jury duty pursuant to summons;
building and maintenance tradespeople, equipment repairpersons, and vendors;
domestic violence advocates and counselors as defined by 750 ILCS 60/227(a)(2);
authorized employees and agents of attorneys;
any person or category of persons pursuant to order of court;
persons who are present at the courthouse to obtain civil orders of protection, stalking no contact orders, or civil no contact orders or parties to a proceeding who are present at the courthouse to attend a proceeding related to an underlying order of protection, stalking no contact order, civil no contact order or other related proceedings;
participants in a domestic violence assistance program;
persons required by court order or the sheriff to wear an electronic monitoring device; and
parties to orders of protection who are required to carry a GPS devices.

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Chief Judge Evans announces Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour set for March 22

DMaguire — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:20:01 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the court will observe Women’s History Month on Friday, March 22, 2013, with tours of the Richard J. Daley Center courthouse, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago. The Women’s History Month Courthouse Tours will offer the public a sense of day-to-day operations in the Daley Center, which is the main courthouse of the Circuit Court of Cook County, one of the nation’s largest unified court systems.

Special Prosecutor will no longer bill Cook County for attorney fees in Koschman investigation

DMaguire — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:39:08 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said he has been advised by Honorable Michael P. Toomin that Dan K. Webb and his firm, Winston & Strawn LLP, (Winston & Strawn) will no longer bill Cook County for attorney fees after December 31, 2012, In the Matter of the Death of David Koschman.

New Court Order for Electronic Communication and Internet Devices

DMaguire — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:36:54 GMT

“ A new court order enforcing the ban of electronic communication and Internet devices inside the Circuit Court of Cook County goes into effect Monday, January 14, 2013. The attached General Administrative Order No. 2013-01 prohibits electronic communication and Internet devices inside courthouse facilities except for a new specified list of persons outlined in the order. The order is being enacted to provide safety within the courts, prevent pictures being taken with electronic devices and hel...

Chief Judge Evans agrees to request judge from outside of Cook County for Vanecko case

DMaguire — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:13:13 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today agreed to a request by Judge Michael P. Toomin and submitted a letter to the Illinois Supreme Court requesting that a judge from outside of Cook County be assigned to preside over People v. Vanecko, 12 CR 22450.

Chief Judge Evans enters order which prohibits cell phones in courthouses where criminal matters are heard

DMaguire — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:11:13 GMT

Chief Judge Evans December 17, 2012, interview with CBS 2 Chicago on cell phone ban . Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced beginning January 14, 2013, the public will not be permitted to bring cell phones and other electronic devices into any Circuit Court of Cook County courthouse facility except for the Richard J. Daley Center Courthouse. The ban will affect only those courthouse facilities in which criminal matters are heard.*

Court’s online class can help parents who are separating prepare children before case is filed and after

mcarroll — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:57:24 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Relations Division Presiding Judge Grace G. Dickler announced the court is now offering parenting education classes online through a new interactive program, Children in Between Online (CIBO) at http://online.divorce-education.com .

Statement issued by the Office of the Chief Judge on Judge Susan McDunn

DMaguire — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:18:11 GMT

Regarding the report in today's Chicago Sun-Times, the Office of the Chief Judge issued the following statement: Judge Suan J. McDunn was removed from hearing cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and her Presiding Judge Willam D. Maddux months ago, and has been on medical leave since that time. It is the policy of the Office of the Chief Judge not to comment on the extent or nature of medical information concerning judges or employees.

Statement by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans on gun court

DMaguire — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:46:04 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans issued the following statement in response to inquiries on establishing a gun court in Cook County: Noting he received a telephone call from the Preckwinkle administration late on Tuesday, Chief Judge Evans said, “At around 4 p.m. yesterday, I first learned that county officials were proposing that I establish a gun court in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Beyond that, I did not receive any substantive information.

Attorneys to mentor court-involved minors

DMaguire — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:02:32 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Juvenile Justice Division Presiding Judge Michael P. Toomin today announced that the juvenile court has partnered with several bar organizations to launch a new program in which male attorneys volunteer to commit to a one year mentoring relationship with non-violent male probationers.

Chief Judge Evans invites public to Annual Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

DMaguire — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:02:04 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Friday, November 2, 2012. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

Chief Judge Evans invites public to attend Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

DMaguire — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:37:23 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Thursday, October 25, 2012. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

Chief Judge Evans assigns judges in five Burge torture claims

DMaguire — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:03:06 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today assigned Criminal Division judges to review the torture claims of five convicted individuals based on recommendations made by the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (TIRC).

Chief Judge Evans invites public to attend Annual Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:18:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, October 10, 2012. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

Chief Judge Evans announces dates for Annual Latino Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours

DMaguire — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:57:17 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Latino Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Thursday, September 27 and Friday, September 28, 2012. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Chief Judge Evans praises judges for newest juvenile initiative

DMaguire — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:04:31 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Juvenile Justice Division Presiding Judge Michael P. Toomin today announced juvenile court judges have recently diverted 269 minors, who otherwise faced detention in the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), into alternative community and faith-based programs designed to address their individual problems and needs.

No Marriages and Civil Unions will be performed in Cook County Building on Saturday, May 19, 2012

RMarasso — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today said that he expects the business of the court to proceed as usual throughout the week of the NATO Summit with the following minor exceptions:

Marriage and Civil Union Court at 119 West Randolph Street in Chicago will be closed on Saturday, May 19, 2012, only. The Marriage and Civil Union Court will reopen for business as usual on Monday, May 21, 2012. An average of 75 marriages and civil unions are performed on Saturdays at that location.
On the afternoon only of Friday, May 18, 2012, all cases that would have been heard in the traffic courtrooms located on the concourse level of the Daley Center have been rescheduled and continued to a new date. This means the Office of Clerk of the Circuit Court mails notices to all parties in those cases to let them know not to come to court on Friday, May 18. The notice also contains the new date on which their cases will be heard. Parties with traffic cases on May 18 also can go to the Clerk’s web site for more information www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org
The Cook County Law Library will close on Friday, May 18, 2012, at 5 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. and will be closed on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

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Bond court, marriages and civil unions to end on weekends at all suburban courts

RMarasso — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:55:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the schedule to terminate bond courts and marriage and civil union courts that operate on weekends and holidays in all suburban Cook County courthouses and transfer them to Chicago locations.

Circuit Court of Cook County Executive Committee Action on Judge Cynthia Brim

RMarasso — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Executive Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County today removed Circuit Judge Cynthia Brim from all judicial duties until further order of court, after making the following findings:

Judge Brim has been formally charged with the commission of a crime which reflects adversely upon her fitness to serve.
Allegations of inappropriate conduct by Judge Brim have been brought to the attention of the Committee which tend to indicate there may be the threat of injury to the public, the judicial branch of government or the orderly administration of justice.
There is reasonable cause to believe that a medical examination may reveal that Judge Brim presently is unable to perform her judicial duties which could result in serious injury to the public or impede the orderly administration of justice.

The Executive Committee also has denied Judge Brim unrestricted access to all court facilities. In the event she has court business, she will be escorted by court security.

The Executive Committee is chaired by Chief Judge Evans and is made up of the following judges:

Honorable Patricia Banks, Presiding Judge, Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division

Honorable Paul P. Biebel, Jr., Presiding Judge, Criminal Division

Honorable Mary Ellen Coghlan, Presiding Judge, Probate Division

Honorable Grace G. Dickler, Presiding Judge, Domestic Relations Division

Honorable Sophia H. Hall, Presiding Judge, Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Resource Section

Honorable Moshe Jacobius, Presiding Judge, Chancery Division

Honorable William D. Maddux, Presiding Judge, Law Division

Honorable Patricia M. Martin, Presiding Judge, Child Protection Division

Honorable Edmund Ponce de León, Presiding Judge, County Division

Honorable Sebastian T. Patti, Presiding Judge, Domestic Violence Division

Honorable Michael P. Toomin, Presiding Judge, Juvenile Justice Division

Honorable E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., Presiding Judge, First Municipal District

Honorable Shelley Sutker-Dermer, Presiding Judge, Second Municipal District

Honorable William O. Maki, Presiding Judge, Third Municipal District

Honorable Cheyrl D. Ingram, Presiding Judge, Fourth Municipal District

Honorable Raymond L. Jagielski, Presiding Judge, Fifth Municipal District

Honorable Marjorie C. Laws, Presiding Judge, Sixth Municipal District

Judge Brim was first elected a circuit judge in 1994 and has been assigned to the Sixth Municipal District in the Markham courthouse since 2010. She was admitted to the bar in 1983 and worked as an assistant Illinois attorney general in Chicago before joining the bench.

Statement by Chief Judge Evans welcoming Illinois Supreme Court new policy on cameras in court

RMarasso — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today issued the following statement:

"I regard the new policy on extended media coverage in the courtroom as a positive change in the right direction for Illinois courts and have supported it in the past, most recently in a speech before the City Club of Chicago in June 2010.

"Allowing media to have cameras and recording devices in the courtroom will give the public a better idea of what goes on in their courtrooms, and they will understand that what they see on television court shows is not a true picture of how judges do justice.

"I will apply to the Illinois Supreme Court's pilot project to allow extended media coverage in Circuit Court of Cook County courtrooms. I also expect to appoint an advisory committee to make recommendations on best practices for implementing the provisions of the Supreme Court's policy for extended media coverage in the Illinois circuit courts. The committee will have as its members judges, attorneys, members of the media and the public.

"Just last summer, United States Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan expressed strong support for more openness and transparency for the third branch of government. At an Aspen Institute event, she said, 'If everybody could see this it would make people feel so good about this branch of government and how it's operating.'

"I certainly support Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride and the justices for adopting this approach to allowing cameras and recording devices in Illinois courtrooms. If approved for participation in the pilot program, the Circuit Court of Cook County will enthusiastically adhere to the guidelines established by the Illinois Supreme Court."

Chief Judge Evans and Presiding Judge Laws announce opening of free legal self-help web center in Markham

RMarasso — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Sixth Municipal District Presiding Judge Marjorie C. Laws today announced the opening of a Self-Help Web Center for People Without Lawyers in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in south suburban Markham, Illinois.

The Self-Help Web Center is located in the Cook County Law Library of the Sixth Municipal District courthouse (lower level) and will be available every day court is in session. Services include two computers with online access to helpful resources available on Illinois Legal Aid Online, http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/, and a hotline phone to Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS), the free legal aid telephone service that offers an immediate response to everyday legal problems confronting low income residents of Cook County. On Mondays and Fridays only, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, attorneys from the Legal Aid Society and volunteers will staff the center to provide additional support.

Chief Judge Evans praised Judge Laws for her work in chairing the Markham Self-Help Center Planning Committee that lead to its creation. He also thanked the Cook County Law Library, which provided the space, computers and phone line for the self-help web center and The Chicago Bar Foundation, Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation which all provided additional funding for the project.

"Judges are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of people coming to court without lawyers, especially low-income and vulnerable people who have nowhere else to turn," said Chief Judge Evans. "Legal self-help centers—like the new Sixth Municipal District Self-Help Web Center—serve as a starting place for people to obtain free legal assistance through access to online legal information, instructional videos, and court-based and community-based legal resources and referrals.

A recent report sponsored by the Chicago Community Trust and the Chicago Bar Foundation found that more than 600,000 people have a need for legal aid services in Cook County each year and that there are only 300 full time staff attorneys to meet this need.

The Sixth Municipal District Self-Help Web Center will provide litigants with current information on Illinois law and court procedure, court forms, automated court documents, instructional videos and referrals to other court- and community-based legal advice resources to help make their court experience less intimidating and easier to navigate.

The Sixth Municipal District Self-Help Web Center is the result of a collaborative effort among the Circuit Court of Cook County, Cook County Law Library, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, South Suburban Bar Association, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, Cabrini Green Legal Assistance, Illinois Legal Aid Online, The Chicago Bar Foundation and the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice. Judge Marjorie Laws, Presiding Judge of the Sixth Municipal District, chaired the Markham Self-Help Center Planning Committee.

The opening was attended by David Moses, Chief Deputy Clerk, Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office; Dawn Porter, President, South Suburban Bar Association; Kendra Reinshagen, Executive Director, Legal Aid Society; and Montel Davenport, Acting Executive Law Librarian, Cook County Law Library

Chief Judge Evans appoints Judge Dickler Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division and Judge Patti Presiding Judge of Domestic Violence Division

RMarasso — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced he has appointed Circuit Judge Grace G. Dickler, who had been serving as the Presiding Judge overseeing the recently established Domestic Violence Division, as Presiding Judge of the court’s Domestic Relations Division. At the same time, Chief Judge Evans also announced he has appointed Circuit Judge Sebastian T. Patti, a former supervising judge of the First Municipal District’s Housing Section and Appellate Court justice, to succeed Judge Dickler as Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Division.

Chief Judge Evans said, "Before I asked her to lead the new division dedicated to domestic violence last year, Grace Dickler had amassed almost two decades of experience as a judge in the Domestic Relations Division; only one other judge of those judges currently assigned to that division of the court has served there longer."

Evans continued, "Judge Dickler also has first-hand experience with the Domestic Relations Division system wide, having first served in the Richard J. Daley Center and later in the suburban Second Municipal District in Skokie. The depth and range of her experience and perspective, in addition to her practical wisdom and administrative skills, make Grace Dickler an ideal choice to now head the Domestic Relations Division."

Chief Judge Evans also acknowledged Judge Dickler’s considerable progress in helping the court to provide both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence with court based services that seek to end the cycle of violence. Recently added services include much expanded free legal representation for victims without lawyers and the development of a questionnaire to assist in the on-site assessment of the needs of victims entering the courthouse. Criminal defendants are now also required to appear in court more frequently to ensure they are complying with court orders.

In announcing his appointment of Judge Sebastian T. Patti to succeed Judge Dickler as the Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Division, Chief Judge Evans said, "Judge Patti has been blazing trails in the Circuit Court since he became a circuit judge in 1995. He served a decade as the effective and respected supervising judge of the high profile Housing Section of the First Municipal District, and most recently, he was selected by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a Justice for the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District."

Chief Judge Evans added, "Sebastian Patti is an individual of great ability, intelligence and integrity, and I have the utmost confidence that the Domestic Violence Division will benefit under his direction."

The appointments are effective July 18, 2011.

Biographical Information for Judge Dickler

A 23-year veteran of the bench, Judge Dickler served as an associate judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County from 1988 until her election as a circuit judge from the 12th Subcircuit in 2006. From 1988 to 1991, she was assigned to the First Municipal District hearing a variety of matters that included traffic matters, contract disputes and bail setting proceedings. In 1991, she was assigned to the Domestic Relations Division where she presided over all aspects of matrimonial law, first in the Richard J. Daley Center and then later in the Second Municipal District in Skokie.

In 2008, Chief Judge Evans asked Judge Dickler to chair the Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court, and in 2010, he appointed her to serve as the first Presiding Judge of the new Domestic Violence Division.

Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Dickler served as an immigration judge for the United State Immigration Court in Chicago from 1986 to 1988. From 1982 to 1985, she served as an administrative law judge for the Illinois Human Rights Commission. From 1981 to 1982, she was a supervising attorney for the Travelers and Immigrants Aid Society of Chicago.

She was admitted to the bar in 1978 and began her legal career with the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow. From 1979 to 1981, she was a sole practitioner in general litigation.

Judge Dickler was born in Cuba in 1954. She received her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1978 and her B.A from DePaul University in 1975.

Judge Dickler replaces Domestic Relations Division Acting Presiding Judge Carole Kamin Bellows. Judge Bellows, who served as Acting Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division since December 2010, will resume her previous assignment in the Domestic Relations Division. Judge Bellows is the only other judge who has served longer than Judge Dickler of all the other judges currently serving in the division, Dickler with 19 years and Bellows with 25 years.

Biographical Information for Judge Patti

Judge Patti was initially appointed a circuit judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1995 and was then elected a circuit judge in November 1996. After a brief stint in the First Municipal District, Judge Patti was assigned to the Child Protection Division from 1995 until January 1998, hearing abuse and neglect matters. In 1998, he returned to the First Municipal District and was assigned to the Housing Section where he presided over City of Chicago building code violations, zoning matters and forfeiture actions for illegal drug houses. He was elevated to supervising judge of the Housing Section in June 1999. While there, he supervised seven judges hearing matters pertaining to building code violations and compliance brought by the City of Chicago and Cook County which impact the health and safety of occupants and the community.

In August 2009, when he was assigned to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District by the Illinois Supreme Court for a one and a half year period. Judge Patti returned to the Circuit Court in January 2011 and was immediately assigned to the Chancery Division where he presided over a general Chancery calendar hearing a broad range of cases such as environmental class actions, employment disputes, and pension board related matters.

Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Patti was the associate regional counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1979 to 1995. He was responsible for judicial and administrative litigation, including trial and hearing practice, under all federal environmental statutes enforced by the EPA. During his 18 years at the EPA, Judge Patti litigated major actions as lead or co-lead government attorney against a number of diverse defendants. His work at the EPA earned him numerous government awards, including the United States Government Bronze Medal for Toxics Litigation in 1984 and 1988, the United States Government Bronze Medal for Clean Water Act Litigation in 1992 and the United States Government Distinguished Service Award in 1993.

Judge Patti also worked as a staff attorney for the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., and as law clerk to District Judge Herbert W. Walton of the Tenth Judicial District of Kansas.

Judge Patti was a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility and a faculty member of the Illinois Judicial Conference. He also served on the Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Sexual Orientation Awareness in the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Housing Court Advisory Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Judge Patti received his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1978 and his B.A. (cum laude) in History/Zoology from Duke University in 1975. He and his partner, Garrison Clarke, live on Chicago’s north side.

Chief Judge Evans established the Domestic Violence Division in 2010 to improve processing of civil and criminal domestic violence matters by combining them in a single court division and to better coordinate the delivery of court and community-based services to all those involved in domestic violence disputes. The Circuit Court’s Domestic Relations Division hears matters concerning dissolution of marriage and civil union, as well as issues involving child custody and visitation, parentage and child support.

Chief Judge Evans introduces new performance measurement initiative

RMarasso — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

New initiative to enhance fairness, justice, transparency and efficiency
in the courts of Cook County

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced his plan to implement a performance measurement initiative as part of his continuing efforts to make the court system more fair, just, transparent, efficient, and accountable.

"The question here is simple: How can the court build upon its current achievements and commitment to fairness and justice?" said Chief Judge Evans. "The answer lies in objectively measuring the progress that has been made against the goals we have set, while continuing to set new goals to better serve the public’s needs. I believe the use of a vigorous performance measurement initiative will allow us to do that."

Chief Judge Evans also announced that he has enlisted the resources of an independent, national court improvement organization to assist in the initiative. The National Center for State Courts, based in Williamsburg, Virginia, has agreed to work with the Circuit Court of Cook County on using the NCSC’s CourTools, a balanced and realistic framework of court performance measurements. Major performance areas to be examined include access and fairness, case flow management, and effective use of resources.

"This initiative will provide the court with the means to better track the progress of its reform efforts and to make adjustments where appropriate," said Chief Judge Evans. He noted that recent reforms to be included in the analysis are the expansion of pretrial assessments of defendants and alternatives to incarceration for defendants charged with nonviolent crimes, the reallocation of cases from one suburban district to another to relieve overcrowding, and the scheduling of court calls by staggering them throughout the day to increase efficiency and make more effective use of court resources.

Evans continued, "CourTools will also assist us in measuring the success of upcoming initiatives that include the establishment of an Elder Law Division, the expansion of staggered court calls, increased access to the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program, and a review of the court’s leased office space as a means to reduce costs to the county."

The Circuit Court’s use of CourTools complements efforts by Cook County to incorporate private-sector performance measurement practices into government administration.

"I recognize the value of performance management systems and support their use. However, while I applaud President Preckwinkle and the members of the County Board, the Circuit Court, as part of an independent branch of state government, will develop and conduct its own performance analysis process, in accordance with the Illinois State Constitution (Ill. Const., Art. II, Section 1) and the Illinois Supreme Court’s opinion in Orenic v. Illinois State Labor Relations Board, 127 Ill. 2d 453 (1989)," said Chief Judge Evans.

The National Center for State Courts is a non-profit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Chief Justice of the United States and the Conference of Chief Justices, the National Center provides leadership, research, consulting, education, and training to the state courts.

Loss of power closes Maywood courthouse

RMarasso — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that all court proceedings were canceled today in the Fourth Municipal District Courthouse, located at 1500 Maybrook Drive in west suburban Maywood, due to loss of the building's electrical power. Chief Judge Evans said the loss of power was due to Tuesday's severe weather and that court proceedings in the Maywood courthouse will resume as soon as electrical service can be restored.

Fourth Municipal District Presiding Judge Cheyrl D. Ingram entered an order closing the Maywood courthouse and continuing cases that had been scheduled for today, June 22, 2011, as follows:

All civil cases are rescheduled to June 29, 2011, to be heard at the same time and in the same courtrooms as previously scheduled.
The traffic, misdemeanor and felony cases of all defendants who are in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections are rescheduled for June 24, 2011, to be heard at the same time and in the same courtrooms as previously scheduled.
The traffic, misdemeanor and felony cases of all individuals who are on bond are rescheduled for July 27, 2011, to be heard at the same time and in the same courtrooms as previously scheduled.

The Circuit Court of Cook County is not part of the Cook County Shutdown Day set for tomorrow, Friday, May 27, 2011

RMarasso — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Circuit Court of Cook County is not part of the Cook County Shutdown Day set for tomorrow, Friday, May 27, 2011.

The Circuit Court will have regular business hours, and all courts will be in session as scheduled.

Chief Judge Evans announces date for Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Thursday, June 2, 2011. The tour is co-sponsored by the Circuit Court and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation's largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Persons attending also receive a copy of the court's informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour is part of the court's year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women's History Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab-American Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Friday, May 27, 2011. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center's west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. The tour is co-sponsored by the Circuit Court and the following bar organizations: the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Chinese American Bar Association, the Filipino-American Bar Association, the Indian American Bar Association, and the Korean American Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of day-to-day operations of one of the nation's largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a judge of the Circuit Court, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court's year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Arab-American Heritage Month, Women's History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning to attend the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Public Affairs Office, at 312-603-1927 on or before Friday, May 13, 2011. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center's west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans appoints Judge Raymond L. Jagielski as Presiding Judge of the Fifth Municipal District

RMarasso — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the appointment of Circuit Judge Raymond L. Jagielski as Presiding Judge of the court’s southwest suburban Fifth Municipal District. The appointment is effective April 15, 2011.

Judge Jagielski will replace current Fifth Municipal District Presiding Judge David P. Sterba, whose elevation to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, is also effective April 15, 2011.

Chief Judge Evans said, "Judge Jagielski is well respected for his interest and success in helping to improve the way the court operates in every assignment in which he has served. I believe Ray’s management experience and people skills, along with his broad legal expertise encompassing civil and criminal matters, will serve the court well."

A nineteen year veteran of the Cook County bench, Judge Jagielski was first elected a Circuit Judge from the 14th Judicial Subcircuit in 1992. He was initially assigned to the Traffic Section of the First Municipal District where he heard driving under the influence and misdemeanor cases. While assigned to that section, he updated and rewrote the judge’s jury trial book for driving under the influence cases. In 1995, he was assigned to the County Division where he presided over a real estate tax deed assignment call, as well as adoption, mental health and election cases. While serving in that division, he wrote the judge’s jury trial book for involuntary admissions and/or involuntary administration of psychotropic medication cases and co-wrote a supplement for the Election Law Book for the Illinois Continuing Legal Education series.

In December 2006, Judge Jagielski was assigned to the Fifth Municipal District where he has served as the Supervising Judge of the Misdemeanor and Traffic Section since June 2010 supervising nine (9) courtrooms and judges. In addition to his supervising duties, he also presides over misdemeanor and traffic cases and had previously presided over felony preliminary hearings. He implemented two court calls in the Bridgeview courthouse to more effectively manage cases which include a reformed Violation of Supervision/Conditional Discharge Call and a Misdemeanor Priority Calendar for all misdemeanor cases more than one year old.

He also served as Acting Presiding Judge in Judge Sterba’s absence and was asked by Judge Sterba to serve as First Alternate Delegate of Authority for the Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP), the emergency/disaster plan of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Judge Jagielski was retained as a Circuit Judge in 1998, 2004, and 2010, and was found Qualified, Recommended or Highly Qualified by all bar associations evaluating judicial candidates in those elections.

Chief Judge Evans noted that Judge Jagielski has long demonstrated a firm commitment to public service and community involvement. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Jagielski was a teacher and football coach at St. Rita High School from 1976 to 1981. From 1981 to 1988, he served as an assistant public defender in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender. From 1989 to 1991, he was a Commissioner of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners (serving as Board Chairman in 1989) while also maintaining a private practice. Immediately prior to his election as a Circuit Judge in 1992, he was an associate with Odelson & Sterk, Ltd., of Evergreen Park, Illinois. He also volunteered as the president of the Archer Manor Little League Association.

Judge Jagielski received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 1981 and his B.A. in Political Science from Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1975.

Judge Jagielski said, "I am honored by the trust that Chief Judge Evans is placing in me. I intend to do my best to deserve that trust and to ensure that court operations serve the needs of the residents of the Fifth Municipal District."

Chief Judge Evans announces Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Friday, March 25, 2011. Co-sponsoring the tour with the Circuit Court is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

The tour offers the public a sense of day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a panel of women judges from the Circuit Court, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Persons attending also receive a copy of the court’s informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county resources.

The Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Arab-American Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312-603-1927 on or before Monday, March 21, 2011. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Parentage and Child Support Court moves to Daley Center

RMarasso — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Parentage and Child Support Court (formerly called Expedited Child Support Program) will move from 32 W. Randolph Street in Chicago to the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, Room 24, on the concourse level. The move is effective on February 15, 2011.

The Parentage and Child Support Court administers the expedited hearing process which seeks to ensure all children receive prompt and regular child support payments.

"The Daley Center provides a more secure environment for these types of cases in which emotions can run high," said Chief Judge Evans.

In addition to greater security, other improvements in the Daley Center location include the addition of interview rooms in which litigants may confer with their attorneys and ADA compliant restrooms, including a unisex facility that allows opposite sex family members to provide assistance when necessary.

Child care services for persons attending court will be available in the Daley Center in the Rhoda Bresler Children's Room located in Room 1309 and across the street at the Mediation Center Children’s Room located on the 10th floor of the George W. Dunne Cook County Administration Building, 69 West Washington.

Circuit Court of Cook County to close Wednesday, February 2, 2011

RMarasso — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Chief Judge Timothy Evans:

Since the weather has continued to worsen, to make sure that no one is placed in a position of harm in getting to court, the Circuit Court of Cook County will be closed Wed., Feb. 2, 2011. This means that there will be no court in session in any Cook County courthouse and that the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court will also be closed. All cases set for Wed., Feb. 2, 2011, will be rescheduled.

Circuit Court of Cook County to remain closed for second consecutive day

RMarasso — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced that court is canceled tomorrow, Thursday, February 3, 2011, due to dangerous conditions following the recent blizzard.

With the exception of Central Bond Court at 26th and California in Chicago, there will not be any courts in session in all Circuit Court of Cook County court facilities in Chicago nor in the suburban courthouses located in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham.

All cases that were scheduled for Wednesday, February 2, and Thursday, February 3 will be rescheduled for a future date.

Cook County Circuit Court to reopen Friday

RMarasso — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that court will reopen tomorrow, Friday, February 4, 2011, in all court locations throughout Cook County.

Court was canceled on Wednesday, February 2, and Thursday, February 3 because of dangerous weather conditions.

All cases that were scheduled for those days will be rescheduled for a future date.

Circuit Court of Cook County announces cancellation of jury service but courts to remain open

RMarasso — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that, despite the anticipated inclement weather, he expects all courts to be in session and all court facilities to be open today and tomorrow, February 2, 2011.

However, jury service for tomorrow is cancelled. The cancellation applies to anyone who has received a summons indicating February 2, 2011, as their initial date of jury service.

Chief Judge Evans also said that he has advised judges to exercise discretion by continuing matters to the next available date for litigants and attorneys who are unable to be present for court proceedings due to extreme weather conditions.

Persons missing their court date will receive notification from the Clerk’s Office when the matter will be heard in the future.

Chief Judge Evans selects SEC prosecutor as Board of Review Commissioner

RMarasso — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Pursuant to his statutory authority provided under 35 ILCS 200/5-5, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today appointed Michael M. Cabonargi, an award-winning senior attorney and prosecutor with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Chicago, to serve as the Commissioner from District Number Two on the Cook County Board of Review.

"I have selected Michael Cabonargi because he is a highly qualified attorney whose work at the SEC reviewing and evaluating complicated financial transactions intersects, on a broader level, with the type of work performed at the Board of Review," said Chief Judge Evans. "Additionally, prior to his work with the SEC, Mr. Cabonargi worked with progressive public servants including Senator Paul Simon, Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. District Court Judge William Hibbler, as well as with well known law firms in Cook County, including Bell, Boyd and Lloyd, LLC and Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP."

Chief Judge Evans also said that another point in Mr. Cabonargi's favor was his pledge to hire more attorneys at the Board, especially to serve as his deputy commissioner. He noted Mr. Cabonargi advised him that he is considering another leading candidate for the position of Commissioner, Aaron R. Bilton, an assistant state's attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Real Estate Tax unit, to serve as his deputy commissioner/chief of staff. Cabonargi said he learned of Mr. Bilton's exceptional credentials from his Board of Review application that was posted on the court's web site.

"Mr. Cabonargi background and management approach demonstrated to me that he has the practical wisdom, experience and vision to be a fair and effective commissioner," said Chief Judge Evans. "I have the utmost confidence in him."

Chief Judge Evans continued, "Mr. Cabonargi and Mr. Bilton were the two professionals who headed my final list from the field of 11 excellent candidates. Mr. Bilton has represented the interests both of government and taxpayers and is well versed in the rules, regulations and procedures of the Board. With his considerable knowledge of both sides of the process, he is exceptionally qualified to assist Mr. Cabonargi in bringing a fresh approach to the Board.

"I therefore was delighted when, in his final interview, Mr. Cabonargi indicated his interest in asking Mr. Bilton to serve as his deputy," Chief Judge Evans added.

Chief Judge Evans will administer the oath of office to Mr. Cabonagi at a later date. State statute provides Mr. Cabonargi shall serve the balance of the term which ends December 3, 2012.

The appointment of Cabonargi fills the vacancy created when former Board of Review Commissioner Joseph Berrios became Cook County Assessor in December 2010.

The statute required that the Chief Judge appoint a commissioner to fill a vacancy on the Board who meets the following requirements: that person must have resided in the Board of Review District Number 2 for at least two years before the date of appointment, must be from the same political party as the district's immediate predecessor, and must not hold any other lucrative public office or public employment while serving as a commissioner.

The Cook County Board of Review, formerly the Board of Appeals, consists of three members elected from individual districts. The Board is a quasi-judicial body that is charged with fairly and impartially reviewing the assessments of all property to the extent authorized by the Property Tax Code, correcting all assessments which should be corrected. It is empowered to raise, lower, and or direct the Cook County Assessor to change, correct, alter, or modify assessments as justice may require, and to do all acts necessary within the authority provided by the Code to procure a full, fair and a full, fair and impartial assessment of all property.

Biographical information on Mr. Cabonargi and Mr. Bilton is attached. Their original applications, including statements of qualifications, can be found at www.cookcountycourt.org.

Biographical Information for Michael M. Cabonargi

Michael M. Cabonargi served as a senior attorney and prosecutor in the Division of Enforcement in the Chicago Regional Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2005 to the present. He investigated possible violations of the federal securities laws and prosecuted the Commission's civil suits in the federal courts as well as its administrative proceedings. He also investigated and litigated cases involving insider trading, offering fraud, pay-to-play, and pyramid/Ponzi schemes. In 2008, he received the SEC Director's Award for Excellence for combating financial fraud targeting seniors and the Chairman's Award in 2007 for bringing the largest private offering fraud case filed by the Commission in the amount of $2.8 billion. (SEC v. Lance Poulsen et al.)

Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Cabonargi was an attorney with Bell, Boyd and Lloyd, LLC, Chicago from 2005 to 2004, with a concentration in complex commercial and regulatory litigation, and with Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP, Chicago from 2004 to 2002, with a concentration in complex commercial litigation. While with Bell, Boyd and Lloyd, LLC, he was appointed a Special Assistant State's Attorney to represent the Cook County Sheriff's Department in defense of claims of police misconduct. As an attorney with Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP, he represented the City of Chicago in the federal and state litigation arising out of the closing of Meigs Field.

From 2002 to 2000, Cabonargi served as law clerk to United States District Court Judge William J. Hibbler in Chicago. During his clerkship, he initiated and helped to establish the court's first help desk for pro se (self-represented) litigants for which he received the Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service from the Federal Bar Association and the U.S. District Court in 2005. Prior to that, he worked as a staff assistant in the Chicago office of United States Senator Richard J. Durbin in 1997, and from 1997 to 1993, he served as a staff assistant and economic development advisor in the Chicago office of United States Senator Paul Simon.

Mr. Cabonargi received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign and a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from Miami University in Ohio in 1993.

Mr. Cabonargi is a resident of Chicago's Logan Square community. Mr. Cabonargi's community service includes serving as a member of the Local School Council for Brentano Elementary School in Chicago from 2006 to 2008 and as a member of the 35th Ward's Zoning Advisory Committee from 2007 to 2009. He also served on the Illinois Comptroller's Ethics Commission from 2003 to 2005.

Biographical Information for Aaron R. Bilton

Aaron R. Bilton has spent his entire legal career of more than 13 years in the real estate taxation field. From 2004 to the present, he has worked as an assistant state's attorney assigned to the Real Estate Tax Unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He has represented the Board of Review before both the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board and the Circuit Court of Cook County. He has handled more than 1,000 specific objection lawsuits for tax years 1997 through 2008. Additionally, he has represented the Treasurer, the Assessor and the Clerk of Cook County in tax injunction cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Prior to becoming an assistant state's attorney, Mr. Bilton was an associate with Flanagan׀Bilton from October 1997 to April 2004, and a paralegal with the firm for one year prior to that. He was responsible for handling more than 1,000 specific objection lawsuits in the Circuit Court of Cook County for tax years 1992 through 2000. He also appeared before the Boards of Review for Cook, Kankakee, Kane and McHenry counties.

Mr. Bilton is a resident of Chicago's East Village community. He received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1997 and his B.A in Political Science and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Illinois in 1994.

Chief Judge Evans appoints Judge William O. Maki as Presiding Judge of court’s Third Municipal District

RMarasso — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has appointed Judge William O. Maki, a judge currently serving in the General Chancery Section of the Chancery Division, as Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court's Third Municipal District. He succeeds Judge Joseph J. Urso, who retired today after 34 years on the bench, the last 12 as Presiding Judge of the Third Municipal District.

"Judge Maki's lengthy judicial service combined with his previous administrative background make him a logical choice to assume the duties of a Presiding Judge," said Chief Judge Evans. "I am relying on his admirable ability to put justice before everything else to help me and our colleagues in advancing the mission of the court."

Chief Judge Evans added, "Judge Urso’s passion for justice will be greatly missed by all those who were fortunate to have worked with him and by those who benefitted from his skills as a judge and an administrator."

An 18-year veteran of the bench, Judge Maki was first elected a circuit judge in 1992. He was assigned to the former Juvenile Division where he served until he was assigned to the Criminal Division in January 1995. In January 2000, he was assigned to the Law Division where he served as a jury trial judge. He was transferred to his current assignment in the Chancery Division in March 2003.

Judge Maki was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1973 and was immediately appointed an assistant state's attorney in the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney, where he served from 1973 to 1978 in several assignments, including felony review, felony hold over court, homicide-sex related hold over court, and the felony trial division. He later practiced law with Best & Maki in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, from 1978 to 1989, handling general litigation and real estate matters. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Maki was a sole practitioner in Arlington Heights, Illinois, from 1989 to 1992.

Judge Maki's public service prior to his election as a circuit judge includes his appointment to the Arlington Heights Plan Commission from 1978 to 1981 (appointed chairman in 1980); his election as Village Trustee of Arlington Heights in 1981 for two four-year terms; and his election as Village President of Arlington Heights for one term, from 1989 to 1992.

Judge Maki said, "I would like to thank Chief Judge Timothy Evans for the opportunity to serve the people's judicial interests in the communities of northwest suburban Cook County. I am looking forward to working with the fine judges and staff of the Third Municipal District."

Judge Maki received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1973 and his B.A. from Northeastern Illinois University in 1970.

Judge Maki's appointment is effective January 31, 2011.

Circuit Court to mark Black History Month with one week of courthouse tours

RMarasso — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Black History Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place from Monday, February 14, through Friday, February 18, 2011. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., the Cook County Bar Association, and the Illinois Judicial Council.

The tours offer the public a sense of day-to-day operations of one of the nation's largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court's informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Black History Month Courthouse Tours are part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Women’s History Month, Arab-American Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning to attend the Black History Month Courthouse Tours should contact Melanie Wheeler, the court's African American Community Liaison, at 312.603.3587 or the Circuit Court of Cook County's Public Affairs Office at 312.603.1927 on or before Wednesday, February 8, 2011. The tours are recommended for persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Centers west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

11 candidates vie for appointment to Board of Review vacancy

RMarasso — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that he has received applications from 11 persons seeking his consideration for appointment to the vacancy in District Number Two on the Cook County Board of Review.

To ensure an open and transparent appointment process, Chief Judge Evans required anyone interested in the position to complete and file a formal application with his office. The applications of the 11 candidates may be viewed at www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans said he will interview the candidates on January 19, 2011, and that he expects to announce his decision the week of January 24.

The 11 candidates are as follows:

Scott Bagnall, Niles Township assessor, attorney, real estate broker, and certified Illinois assessing officer
Aaron R. Bilton, an assistant Cook County state’s attorney, Real Estate Tax Unit
Ann Breen-Greco, an attorney, administrative law judge and arbitrator
Michael M. Cabonargi, a senior attorney with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Dennis M. Fleming, an attorney, chairman of the Chicago License Appeal Commission, administrative law judge and hearing officer
Reanetta Hunt, president and CEO, Hunt Media & Management, LLC
Richard E. Martin, a computer system business analyst formerly with General Electric
Joseph Mario Moreno, an attorney and former member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
Eugene C. Schulter, Chicago alderman, 47th Ward
Sam Toia, owner and operator of Leona’s Restaurants and Hop Haus Sports Pubs
Johnnetta (Jay) Watts, a real estate broker

Under the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chief Judge Evans is required to fill the Board of Review vacancy. State law further requires the person appointed to serve the balance of the term, which ends December 3, 2012. Evans said he is seeking to appoint someone who is committed to perform all of the duties of a commissioner including, but are not limited to, fair and impartial review of assessments of all property to the extent authorized by the Property Tax Code, appropriate and lawful correction of assessments, direction that the Cook County Assessor modify assessments as justice may require, and the performance of all acts necessary under authority of law to procure a full, fair and impartial assessment of all real property located in the county.

The position is one of three commissioners constituting the Board of Review, each of whom represents a different, statutorily defined part of the county.

State law requires that a person seeking appointment reside in District Number 2 for at least two years before the date of appointment, must be from the same political party as the immediate predecessor and must not hold any other lucrative public office or public employment while serving as a commissioner. Property Tax Code, 35 ILCS 200/5-5.

Chief Judge Evans establishes application process to fill Cook County Board of Review vacancy

RMarasso — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that persons seeking appointment to the vacancy in the office of commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review from District Number 2 will need to submit a formal application to him to be considered for the position.

The Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County is required by state law to fill Board of Review vacancies. Property Tax Code, 35 ILCS 200/5-5. The office became officially vacant when former Commissioner Joseph Berrios became Cook County Assessor on December 6, 2010.

"I intend to appoint a commissioner who will be not only fair and impartial, but also willing to lower or raise property values as justice requires," said Chief Judge Evans.

Eligible persons interested in seeking appointment to the position may download an application at www.cookcountycourt.org beginning tomorrow. Chief Judge Evans noted that state law requires that, to be eligible for the appointment, a person must reside in the Board of Review District Number 2 for at least two years before the date of appointment, must be from the same political party as the immediate predecessor, and must not hold any other lucrative public office or public employment while serving as a commissioner.

Applicants will be required to submit to Chief Judge Evans a cover letter expressing interest in and showing eligibility for the appointment, a résumé, and three letters of reference as part of their completed application. All submitted application forms will be posted on the court's web site.

Applications will be accepted beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 13, 2010, and must be received by the Office of the Chief Judge no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, December 27, 2010.

The duties of a commissioner include, but are not limited to, fair and impartial review of assessments of all property to the extent authorized by the Property Tax Code, appropriate and lawful correction of assessments, direction that the Cook County Assessor modify assessments as justice may require, and the performance of all acts necessary under authority of law to procure a full, fair and impartial assessment of all real property located in the county.
Applications are also available in the Office of the Chief Judge, 50 W. Washington Street, Room 2600, Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Chief Judge Evans appoints committee to study Law Division’s Black Line Trial Call

RMarasso — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he is establishing the Circuit Court of Cook County Black Line Trial Call Study Committee and that he has asked Judge Lynn Egan, a veteran trial judge assigned to the Law Division and attorney Larry Rogers Sr., Power Rogers and Smith PC, to serve as the committees co-chairs.

The committee will conduct a thorough evaluation of the practices and policies of the Black Line Trial Call and make recommendations to the Chief Judge.

Chief Judge Evans said that the committee is in formation and that the following persons have been appointed thus far:

Judge Jennifer Duncan-Brice, Law Division
Judge James P. Flannery, Jr., Law Division
Judge Mary A. Mulhern, Law Division
Joseph W. Balesteri, Power Rogers and Smith PC
Jean Cleveland, Senior Conflict Attorney, Winston and Strawn LLP
Patricia J. Foltz, Partner, Anderson Rasor and Partners LLP
Francis P. Morrissey, Burke, Wise and Morrissey
Hon. Richard A. Siebel (Ret.), K& L Gates LLP
Hon. Cheryl A. Starks (Ret.)
Hon. John A. Ward (Ret.)
Richard M. Waris, Chair of the Executive Committee, Pretzel and Stouffer

Chief Judge Evans begins series of sweeping changes throughout the court system

RMarasso — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As he prepares to be sworn in for his fourth term as Chief Judge on Monday, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced major changes in the Circuit Court that include the appointment of new Presiding Judges and Supervising Judges in almost half of the court's divisions and districts and the creation of a new division dedicated to elder law matters, the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division.

Chief Judge Evans said, "I want to be clear that these changes I am undertaking in the court system are designed to ensure that the Circuit Court of Cook County remains on its current trajectory as a model court for the nation."

In addition to the ten appointments announced today, Chief Judge Evans said he expects to announce additional adjustments at the court's executive management level in the near future. He also indicated that reviews of the structure and operations within the court's divisions and districts are forthcoming. In addition to the creation of the new division dedicated solely to elder probate matters, he said, "Further significant changes to the court are to be expected."

The Circuit Court is made up of six geographical districts and 10 divisions: Law, Chancery, County, Domestic Relations, Domestic Violence, Juvenile Justice, Child Protection, Probate, Criminal, and Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies. Each is administered by a Presiding Judge appointed by Chief Judge Evans.

Chief Judge Evans announced seven (7) new Presiding Judge assignments, which are effective December 6, 2010, as follows:

Judge Moshe Jacobius, who was serving as Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division, has been named Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division to succeed Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird who retired;
Judge Carole Kamin Bellows, a veteran judge in the Domestic Relations Division, will succeed Judge Moshe Jacobius as Acting Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division;
Judge Mary Ellen Coghlan, a judge in the Probate Division, has been named Presiding Judge of the Probate Division to succeed Judge Henry A. Budzinski who retired;
Judge Patricia Banks, a trial judge in the Law Division, has been named Presiding Judge of the soon-to-be created Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division which will hear those elder law matters formerly heard in the Probate Division;
Judge Edmund Ponce de León, who was serving as Presiding Judge of the west suburban Fourth Municipal District, has been named Presiding Judge of the County Division to succeed Associate Judge Mark Ballard who served as the division's Acting Presiding Judge following the retirement of former Presiding Judge Patrick E. McGann last August;
Judge Cheyrl D. Ingram, a judge in the west suburban Fourth Municipal District, will succeed Judge Edmund Ponce de León as Presiding Judge of the Fourth Municipal District; and
Judge Michael P. Toomin, a judge assigned by the Illinois Supreme Court to the First District Appellate Court, has been named to succeed Judge Curtis Heaston as Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Justice Division, who has been assigned to serve as a Supervising Judge within that division.

Biographical information on the Presiding Judge appointees is attached.

In addition to the assignment of Judge Curtis Heaston as a Supervising Judge in the Juvenile Justice Division, Chief Judge Evans also announced two other Supervising Judge assignments:

Judge James G. Riley, a veteran judge of the Probate Division, has been named as the Supervising Judge of the Probate Division; and
Associate Judge Mark Ballard has been named as the Supervising Judge of the County Division.

The supervising judge appointments are also effective December 6, 2010.

Biographical Information on New Circuit Court of Cook County Judicial Appointments

Honorable Patricia Banks
Judge Banks was elected a circuit judge in 1994 and immediately began serving in the Domestic Relations Division. In 2001, she was assigned as a trial judge in the Law Division where she presided over medical malpractice, personal injury, construction and product liability litigation matters. In addition to her regular judicial duties, Judge Banks is Chairperson of the Illinois Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinating Committee (2009 to the present). Also, she has served on the governing bodies of numerous professional organizations including the National Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, The Chicago Bar Association, and the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association. Judge Banks has served on the Illinois Judicial Conference faculty and as an adjunct professor for DePaul University College of Law where she taught professional responsibility. She also taught ethics and professionalism at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Judge Banks began her legal career in 1972 as a staff attorney in the Solicitor's Office of the United States Department of Labor. From 1973 to 1974, she worked as a staff attorney for the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities and in 1974, she joined Sears Roebuck and Company as a staff attorney in its corporate headquarters. Judge Banks was in private practice with LaFontant, Wilkins and Fisher from 1978 to 1980, and then with her own firm from 1980 to 1994. Judge Banks received a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago (formerly Chicago Circle) in 1969 and her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin, in 1972

Honorable Carol Kamin Bellows
Judge Bellows was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a circuit judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in November 1986 and was later elected a circuit judge in 1988. She was immediately assigned to the Domestic Relations Division in the Richard J. Daley Center where she has served continuously for the last 24 years. Since 1987, she has lead a team in the Domestic Relations Division made up of three trial judges and one post decree judge. Judge Bellows hears all matters assigned to the team from time of filing, through pretrial and up to final assignment for trial. In addition to her judicial duties, she is currently serving on the Senior Lawyers Committee of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Judge Bellows was in private practice for 26 years before taking the bench. She began her legal career practicing with her father, Alfred Kamin. From 1962 to 1972, she was a law clerk for the chief justice of the Illinois Court of Claims. In 1973, she became a partner at Bellows & Bellows. Immediately prior to becoming a judge, Bellows was a partner at Reuben & Proctor. From 1977 to 1978, she served as the president of the Illinois State Bar Association, becoming the first woman in the country to serve as a president of a state bar organization. She also was the first woman to serve on the ISBA's Board of Governors, from 1969 through 1979. She received a B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1957 and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1960.

Honorable Mary Ellen Coghlan
Judge Coghlan was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a circuit judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in March 1995 and was later elected a circuit judge in 1996. After initially serving in the First Municipal District, Judge Coghlan was assigned to the Criminal Division in August 1995. She initially presided over narcotics cases and was appointed Supervising Judge of the Night Narcotics Division in 1997. After her assignment to the day division, Judge Coghlan presided over felony bench and jury trials. For the last nine (9) years, Judge Coghlan has been assigned to the Probate Division hearing both adult guardianship and decedent's estate matters. In addition to her regular judicial duties, Judge Coghlan served on the Illinois Judicial Conference Study Committee on Complex Litigation by appointment of the Illinois Supreme Court from 2001 to 2009. She chaired the committee from 2005 through 2007. In 2003, she was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court Special Committee to Study Courtroom and Judicial Security.

Judge Coghlan began her legal career as an associate attorney at the Coghlan, Kukankos and Cook law firm, where she worked from 1981 until 1982. From 1982 until 1987, she served as a felony trial assistant in the Cook County Public Defender's Office. Immediately prior to becoming a judge, Judge Coghlan was employed from 1987 until 1995 as an assistant attorney general in the General Law Division of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, where she represented state agencies and officials in administrative proceedings and in civil lawsuits in both state and federal court. She received a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Champaign in 1978 and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1981.

Honorable Cheyrl D. Ingram
Judge Ingram has served as a circuit judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County since her election in 1992. From 1992 to 1994, she was assigned to the Domestic Relations Division in the Richard J. Daley Center hearing matters pertaining to divorce, child support, custody and orders of protection. In 1994, she was assigned to the Fourth Municipal District in Maywood, Illinois, where she hears a variety of matters, including civil jury and non-jury cases; pre and post trial motions; all motions on mandatory arbitration; forcible entry and detainer; small claims; wage and garnishment; replevins; bond hearings; and demolitions. In 1997, she was dually assigned to the Law Division hearing all Law Division cases filed in the Fourth Municipal District. In addition to her regular judicial duties, Judge Ingram has served on the governing bodies of the Illinois Judicial Council Executive Board, the Illinois Judges Association, and the Illinois Judicial Council Foundation, of which she was also a founding member. She also has served on the Fourth Municipal District Civil Practice Committee and the Presiding Judges Suburban District Civil Procedure Subcommittee.

Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Ingram was a career public defender in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender from 1979 through 1992. While an assistant public defender, she served in the Abuse and Neglect Division, the Juvenile Division for Neglect and Delinquency, the Felony Trial Division and the Multiple Defender Unit. She received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin in 1974, as a three years graduate with a double major in History and Political Science and her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 1978, as a two and a half year graduate.

Honorable Moshe Jacobius
A 19-year veteran of the bench, Judge Jacobius was first appointed a circuit judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1991 and assigned as a trial judge in the Domestic Relations Division where he served continuously until January 2000 when he was assigned to the Chancery Division. Judge Jacobius was elected a circuit judge in November 1994. He was appointed Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division in June 2000. In addition to his presiding judge duties, Judge Jacobius serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Child Custody Issues and the Illinois Supreme Court Special Committee to Study Courtroom and Judicial Security. He also is a member of the Circuit Court of Cook Cook County Executive Committee and has served on the court's Associate Judge Nominating Committee.

Prior to becoming a circuit judge, Judge Jacobius spent sixteen years in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. During his career in that office, he first served as an assistant attorney general from 1975 to 1982 prosecuting cases and defending Illinois agencies and officials. He was appointed Chief of the Industrial Commission Division in 1982, supervising both in-house and outside counsel in the defense of workers' compensation claims of Illinois employees before the Illinois Industrial Commission. From 1983 to 1988, he served as Chief of the General Law Division where he oversaw 37 attorneys responsible for general civil litigation in the areas of civil rights, civil service and government regulation. In 1988, he became Counsel to the Attorney General and remained in that senior management position until his appointment to the Cook County bench. Judge Jacobius also worked as a teacher for the Chicago Board of Education from 1969 to 1974. He received a B.A. in History in 1967 and an M.A. in History in 1969. from the University of Illinois. He received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1975.

Honorable Edmund Ponce de León
Judge Ponce de León was elected a circuit judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1996 and was immediately assigned to the Domestic Relations Division. In 2001, he was assigned to the Law Division hearing complex litigation matters in the Commercial Section. In March 2002, he was appointed Presiding Judge of the Fourth Municipal District. In addition to his presiding judge duties, Judge Ponce de León serves on many Circuit Court of Cook County committees, which include the Executive Committee, the Forms Committee, the Automation Committee and the Associate Judge Nominating Committee.

Before becoming a judge, Judge Ponce de León was in private practice concentrating in commercial litigation in both state and federal court. His practice included select real estate, taxation litigation and adoptions. He also served as special counsel to the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee for a variety of matters, including complex taxation issues. He received a B.A. in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University in 1979 and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 1984.

Honorable Michael Toomin
Justice Toomin was appointed an associate judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1980 and was elected a circuit judge in 1984. He has served almost his entire judicial career in the Criminal Division, hearing more than 630 murder cases and presiding over more than 400 jury trials. In 1994, he was appointed a Supervising Judge in the Criminal Division and in 2000, he was named Acting Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. In August 2008, he was assigned to the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court. In addition to his regular judicial duties, Justice Toomin currently serves as the Chair of the Special Supreme Court Committee on Capital Cases. He formerly served as a Commissioner of the Clear Initiative, which was created to reform and review the Illinois Criminal Code. He previously served as the Chair of the Committee on Criminal Law and Probation Administration of the Illinois Judicial Conference, as Vice-Chair of the Cook County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Chair of the Illinois Senate Criminal Justice System Task Force. From 1983 to 2000, Justice Toomin was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law where he taught litigation and trial practice. He also participates in the training and continuing legal education of judges and attorneys throughout the state.

Prior to becoming a judge, Toomin served as a felony trial assistant in the Cook County Public Defender's Office from 1967 to 1969. He later entered private practice concentrating in the defense of criminal cases in federal and state court. Following his service in the United States Marine Corps (1956 to 1958), Toomin received a B.A. from Northwestern University in 1962 and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1967.

Court's new Domestic Violence Division expands to two suburban districts

RMarasso — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Violence Division Presiding Judge Grace G. Dickler announced that the Domestic Violence Division has begun its critical expansion from Chicago to the suburbs of Cook County with the addition of courtrooms in the two courthouses that serve the court's Fourth Municipal District and Fifth Municipal District.

Chief Judge Evans said, "The expansion of the Domestic Violence Division to the court's suburban locations demonstrates significant progress in the court's groundbreaking efforts to better serve the people of Cook County by combining the civil and criminal court response to domestic violence cases."

The division's expansion began late in September of this year with the addition of a courtroom in the west suburban Fourth Municipal District in Maywood and a courtroom in the southwest suburban Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview. In each courtroom, both criminal and civil domestic violence matters, including Class 4 felonies, are heard by a judge assigned to that district who is additionally assigned to the Domestic Violence Division.

A Domestic Violence Division courtroom is scheduled to open on December 7, 2010, in the north suburban Third Municipal District courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Courtrooms are expected to open in the two remaining suburban courthouses in Markham and Skokie in early 2011.

Chief Judge Evans noted that the expansion of the new division to the suburbs was one of the original recommendations made by the blue ribbon committee he appointed to study domestic violence court. He launched the Domestic Violence Division on January 19, 2010, based on those recommendations which had concluded it was in the public's best interest to have the hearing of both civil and criminal domestic violence matters centralized in a court-wide division that was overseen by a presiding judge. The division provides for uniform management of cases, better protection for victims whose criminal cases end but who still require civil remedies, and enhanced coordination of court-based resources for both victims and those who commit acts of domestic violence.

Domestic Violence Division Presiding Judge Grace G. Dickler noted that the following developments have taken place in the last ten months since the division launched:

The Domestic Violence Division courtroom opened in the Fourth Municipal District on September 27, 2010, and Judge John D. Tourtelot was assigned to it.
The Domestic Violence Division courtroom that opened in the Fifth Municipal District on September 20, 2010, and Judge Sheila McGinnis was assigned to it.
An additional courtroom was opened in the Domestic Violence Courthouse at 555 West Harrison Street in Chicago to decrease the waiting time for victims seeking emergency orders of protection in civil proceedings, bringing the total number of the division's Chicago courtrooms to eight (8).
Monthly training sessions are held for the division's judges to enhance their knowledge of relevant law and to reenergize their sensitivity to the matters before them.
The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court has agreed to dedicate areas in its office in the Domestic Violence Courthouse to keep respondent/defendants (meaning persons alleged to have committed acts of domestic violence) separated from petitioner/victims which increases the safety and comfort of those seeking protection from the court.
Class 4 domestic violence felonies as well as aggravated stalking cases will be added to the Domestic Violence Courthouse in Chicago this coming December.
The Circuit Court recruited two leading domestic violence experts, attorney Leslie Landis, former director of Mayor Daley's Office on Domestic Violence, and Loretta Line, former legal advocate for the Evanston YWCA, to help implement the programs and innovations planned for the division. The court obtained grant funding from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to pay their salaries.

Presiding Judge Dickler said the following innovations are expected to be implemented in the Domestic Violence Division as well:

An informational video is being produced in collaboration with The Chicago Bar Association to help direct the public to the resources available at the Domestic Violence Courthouse.
A pro bono lawyer program for victims is set to launch in January 2011 at the Chicago Domestic Violence Courthouse staffed by law students currently attending De Paul University College of Law as well as alumni, and lawyers from the following six major law firms: Jenner & Block LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, SNR Denton U.S. LLP (formerly Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal), Ungaretti & Harris LLP, and Winston & Strawn LLP.
The creation of a compliance call to provide stricter judicial supervision of those defendants who have been ordered to undergo intervention services is expected to start in early 2011 which will help increase offender accountability.
Brochures on services available to persons who commit acts of domestic violence to help change their behavior are under development.
Cross-training for non-judicial court personnel is slated for 2011 to increase coordination and shared expertise between the civil and criminal aspects

Chief Judge Evans announces date for Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the annual Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

The tour offers the public a sense of day-to-day operations in one of the nation's largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

The Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court's year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Women's History Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact the Circuit Court of Cook County's Public Affairs Office at (312) 603-1927 on or before Friday, November 12, 2010. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center's west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans sets October 27 for Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation's largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants also receive a copy of the court's informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court's year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Women's History Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Public Affairs Office at 312.603.1927, on or before Friday, October 22, 2010. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center's west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces retired judge to head new office on specialty courts

RMarasso — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced his administration plans to expand the use of specialty courts to rehabilitate nonviolent offenders and that he has appointed retired Associate Judge Lawrence P. Fox to lead the effort.

“Larry Fox has been at the forefront of the introduction of specialty courts in the Circuit Court of Cook County,” said Chief Judge Evans. “In 1998, he established the court’s first specialty court for substance abusing felony offenders, the Rehabilitation Alternative Probation (RAP) program, over which he presided until his recent retirement. He also led the way, in conjunction with Criminal Division Presiding Judge Paul P. Biebel, Jr., in the development of the nation’s first felony Mental Health Treatment Court here in Cook County in 2004, where he also presided.”

Chief Judge Evans continued, “As director of Specialty Courts, Judge Fox will be responsible for helping to integrate specialty courts throughout the court system, by expanding existing ones and developing new ones. He will also assist in establishing protocols, training and evaluation to ensure their continued success.”

Sometimes called problem solving courts, specialty courts seek to improve the behavior of offenders and improve public safety at the same time. They are characterized by collaborative planning, a team approach among the legal stakeholders, supervised treatment and, most importantly, oversight and regular hearings before a judge who provides support, incentives and, where necessary, sanctions in an effort to positively impact the behavior of the defendant.

There are currently 12 specialty courts operating throughout the court system as follows:

Veterans’ Court:

Criminal Division at 26th and California (Chicago)
Second Municipal District in Skokie (northern Cook County)
Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)
Sixth Municipal District in Markham (southern Cook County)

Mental Health Treatment Court

Criminal Division at 26th and California (Chicago), two separate, dedicated calls, one for men and one for women
Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)

Prostitution Court

Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)

Drug Treatment Court

Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)
Sixth Municipal District in Markham (southern Cook County)
Criminal Division at 26th and California (Chicago), RAP Cook County Rehabilitation Alternative Probation substance abuse treatment program
Youthful Offenders Drug Treatment Court at 26th and California (Chicago)

Appointed an associate judge in October 1986, Judge Fox is a 23-year veteran of the bench. He initially presided over misdemeanor trial and felony preliminary hearings from 1986 to 1996. From 1996 to 1998, he was assigned to the Evening Narcotics Division hearing felony trials, becoming supervising judge of the division in 1997. Prior to his retirement on July 7, 2010, he served as a trial court judge in the Criminal Division at 26th and California while presiding over the Cook County Rehabilitation Alternative Program (RAP) substance abuse treatment program since 1998 and the Mental Health Treatment Court call from 2004 to 2007.

Prior to becoming a judge, Fox served as an assistant public defender in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender from 1976 to 1983; from 1983 to 1986, he engaged in the general practice of law in Oak Park, Illinois. For the past 25 years, he has taught trial advocacy as a member of the Adjunct Faculty at DePaul University College of Law. Earlier this year, he was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning.

Judge Fox received his B.A. from John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1971 and his J.D from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1975. He presents frequently on specialty courts and jury management for numerous organizations, including the Illinois Association of Drug Court Professionals, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and the Illinois Judicial Conference.

Judge Fox will begin his new position July 8, 2010. Funding for the director of specialty courts was obtained from The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Justice Assistance Grants Program which is administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

There are currently 12 specialty courts operating throughout the court system as follows:

Veterans’ Court:

Criminal Division at 26th and California (Chicago)
Second Municipal District in Skokie (northern Cook County)
Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)
Sixth Municipal District in Markham (southern Cook County)

Mental Health Treatment Court

Criminal Division at 26th and California (Chicago), two separate, dedicated calls, one for men and one for women
Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)

Prostitution Court

Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)

Drug Treatment Court

Fourth Municipal District in Maywood (western Cook County)
Sixth Municipal District in Markham (southern Cook County)
Criminal Division at 26th and California (Chicago), RAP Cook County Rehabilitation Alternative Probation substance abuse treatment program
Youthful Offenders Drug Treatment Court at 26th and California (Chicago)

Chief Judge Evans expands minority participation in Court Lawyer Referral Program

RMarasso — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that he has asked a consortium of minority bar organizations to join the court’s In Court Lawyer Referral Program, a decades-old court-based program that provides low-cost legal representation to qualifying defendants.

Beginning in July 2011, the consortium will alternate on a monthly basis with the Chicago Bar Association in supplying attorneys at Circuit Court of Cook County court locations where the CBA is currently participating in the In Court Referral Program.

Chief Judge Evans said, “This action continues my goals to expand excellence and diversity within all aspects of court operations, and to offer members of the public who come to court without a lawyer the opportunity to obtain affordable legal representation on the day they appear in court.”

Led by the Cook County Bar Association, the consortium includes the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois.

Chief Judge Evans explained that the In Court Lawyer Referral Program is available to those defendants appearing in court for traffic offenses, misdemeanor offenses and felony preliminary hearings who come to court without a lawyer and do not qualify for representation by the Office of the Public Defender. Judges refer such defendants to on-site attorneys supplied by participating bar associations.

Fumes close two branch courtrooms in Chicago

RMarasso — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that two (2) branch courtrooms in the First Municipal District (Chicago) that are located in the Chicago Police Department’s Harrison District facility were temporarily closed today after the Chicago Fire Department evacuated the facility because of noxious fumes.

The Harrison District facility is located at 3151 West Harrison Street. Branch 43, which hears misdemeanors and ordinance violations, and Branch 44, which hears felony preliminary hearings, are located in the facility.

Matters that had been scheduled for today in Branch 43 have been continued as follows:
all cases of defendants in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections were continued by order of court to tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9, 2010, for their regularly scheduled court time; and
all cases of defendants on bond were continued by order of court to Thursday, July 15, 2010, for their regularly scheduled court time.

Defendants in the custody of the Cook County Sheriff who had been scheduled for bond hearings today in Branch 43 were transported to 2650 South California Avenue and were afforded a bond hearing in Central Bond Court.

All cases that had been scheduled for today in Branch 44 were not heard and have been continued by order of court to tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9, 2010.

Chief Judge Evans acts to strengthen confidence in Cook County judiciary

RMarasso — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that he will reassign four judges whose judicial conduct has been the subject of recent publicized reports and arrange for them to receive mentoring from experienced judges. He also announced he has appointed two new supervising judges to provide improved management and oversight of the Criminal Branch Courts of the First Municipal District (Chicago), where three of the four judges had been serving.

Chief Judge Evans said, “I am taking these measures pending the completion of an internal inquiry into the conduct of these judges. I know that an overwhelming majority of the circuit court’s 428 judges work extremely hard to maintain the public’s confidence.”

“I do not want any unacceptable behavior of a few judges to undermine the credibility and integrity of our entire system of justice,” said Chief Judge Evans.

The four judges, their reassignments and the judges from whom they will receive mentoring are:

Judge Gloria Chevere, transferred from conducting felony preliminary hearings in Branch 44 at 3150 West Flournoy Street to hearing misdemeanor and ordinance offenses in Branch 34 at 155 West 51st Street, mentored by Judge Sophia H. Hall, Administrative Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Resource Section;
Judge Jim Ryan, transferred from conducting felony preliminary hearings in Branch 48 at 155 West 51st Street to hearing misdemeanor and ordinance offenses and the assignment/jury trial call in Branch 46 at 555 West Harrison Street, mentored by Judge James F. Flannery, Jr. of the Law Division;
Judge Frank DeBoni, transferred from conducting felony preliminary hearings and hearing public housing matters in Branch 42 at 2452 West Belmont Avenue to conducting felony preliminary hearings in Branch 50 at 5555 West Grand Avenue, mentored by First District Appellate Court Justice Sebastian T. Patti; and
Judge Cynthia Brim, transferred from the Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview to the Sixth Municipal District in Markham, mentored by Judge Camille E. Willis of the Sixth Municipal District.

Chief Judge Evans noted that he expects the realignment of assignments, coupled with the oversight provided through his appointment of the new supervising judges, will result in increased judicial accountability.

To that end, Chief Judge Evans has appointed Judge Michelle D. Jordan as Supervising Judge of the Criminal Branch Courts of the First Municipal District, which hear all misdemeanor and ordinance offenses that originate in the city of Chicago and conduct all preliminary hearings for felonies that originate in the city of Chicago except those heard in the Criminal Court Building at 26th and California. In addition to supervising the 11 Criminal Branch judges who are assigned to the courtrooms located in each of the five (5) Chicago Police Department Area Headquarters and the Domestic Violence Courthouse at 555 West Harrison Street, she will continue in her current assignment conducting felony preliminary hearings in Branch 38 at 727 East 111th Street. Judge Jordan was elected to the bench in 2004. Prior to becoming a judge, Jordan served as chief of the Environmental Control Division in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and as a special assistant United States attorney in the United States Department of Justice.

Chief Judge Evans also announced the appointment of Associate Judge Daniel T. Gillespie as Supervising Judge of the Criminal Branch Courts located in the Criminal Court Building at 26th and California, which includes Central Bond Court (Chicago). Judge Gillespie will supervise the nine (9) judges assigned to Central Bond Court, which convenes every day of the year, and to Branch 57 (felony narcotics preliminary hearings), Branch 66 (homicide/sex related felony court), Branch 98 (felony indictment call), and Branch 2 (traffic prisoner call).

Elected an associate judge in June 1998, Judge Gillespie was most recently assigned to the First Municipal District where, in addition to hearing a civil trial call, he served in many supervisory capacities, including acting supervising judge overseeing seven (7) judges assigned to the non-jury torts/contracts section. His previous assignments included hearing criminal matters in the Second Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, Gillespie served as an assistant Illinois attorney general, an assistant Cook County state’s attorney and an assistant Cook County public defender.

The transfers and supervising judge appointments are effective June 1, 2010.

Chief Judge Evans noted that recent reports also focused on an unpublished study prepared by Loyola University Chicago in 2008 at the request of the Office of the Cook County Sheriff. The study was based on data collected by sheriff’s deputies from January 1, 2007, through August 28, 2008. The report was designed to demonstrate the number of hours sheriff’s deputies worked staffing sessions of court. Instead, the results of the report have been used to unfairly imply that the number of hours that sheriff’s deputies staff courtrooms is directly proportional to the number of hours that judges work each day.

Chief Judge Evans said, “It is important to note that the Loyola report states that more than half of the courtrooms in Cook County were in use for more than five and a half hours each day in that time period. On average, all courtrooms were in use for five hours each day.”

He continued, “It is equally important for the public to understand that, in addition to presiding in court, judges perform a substantial amount of their judicial duties in their offices, and not in their courtrooms. A sheriff’s deputy is not necessarily present at those times. Such work includes writing decisions, preparing for hearings, performing legal research, reviewing court documents and holding pre-trial and settlement conferences. To conclude that a judge is not working because he or she is not sitting in a courtroom is egregiously unfair and inaccurate.”

Chief Judge Evans announces Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, a meeting with a judge of the Circuit Court for an informal presentation, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants also receive a copy of the court’s informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Friday, May 28, 2010. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org

Chief Judge Evans announces free services to homeowners in foreclosure

RMarasso — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Chicago, IL. [April 20, 2010] – Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the launch of the Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program, which will provide free housing counseling and legal services to Cook County homeowners and families in foreclosure. The program is aimed at helping homeowners resolve their mortgage cases in the most timely and respectful manner possible.

"The Circuit Court established the Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program in response to the recent economic recession and related mortgage crisis to help families in foreclosure throughout Cook County," said Chief Judge Evans. "The program's goal is to deliver critical services to homeowners as early as possible once the foreclosure process begins. In this way, homeowners in crisis are assured of receiving the support and information they need to explore fully their options either to stay in their homes or to negotiate a respectable exit."

Funded by the Cook County Board and administered by the Circuit Court's Chancery Division, the program is an unprecedented partnership between the Circuit Court of Cook County and several state and local organizations. Together, the Circuit Court and partner organizations, including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, The Chicago Bar Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust, are working with attorneys and mediators from the Center for Conflict Resolution, the Chicago Legal Clinic and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services to provide access to free assistance to homeowners who have received a summons to appear in court.

In order to participate in the mediation program, homeowners must:

be residents of Cook County
have received a foreclosure summons from the Cook County Court
live in the building in foreclosure – which may be a single-family home, single-family condominium or apartment building with four or fewer units.

Homeowners who have received a summons can call a toll-free help line (877.895.2444, or 312.836.5222 TDD) to schedule a free meeting with a housing counselor – the first step in the mediation process. After meeting with a housing counselor, homeowners will have the opportunity to meet with an on-site attorney to discuss the housing counselor's recommendations and prepare for a court date that will determine whether the foreclosure case can be mediated with the lender.

Homeowners who are concerned about their mortgages, but who have not received a summons from the court and are not currently in foreclosure, should consult www.CookCountyForeclosureHelp.org for a list of available resources.

Chief Judge Evans praised Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird, Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division, for her role in making the mediation program a reality. "This critical program would not be possible without the leadership of Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird and the women and men who served on the Chancery Division's Case Management Advisory Committee," said Chief Judge Evans. "Thanks to the Advisory Committee and its four subcommittees, which included representatives from the judiciary, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, the Office of the Clerk of the Court, the Office of the Public Guardian, mortgage lenders, borrowers' counsel, the private bar, neighborhood housing groups and our program partners, we have a blueprint for a mortgage foreclosure mediation program unlike any in the country. I would also like to thank First Deputy Commissioner Ellen K. Sahli of the City of Chicago's Department of Community Development, who chaired the Mediation and Housing Counseling Subcommittee, and Marilyn Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Conflict Resolution, who conducted a study of foreclosure mediation programs throughout the country."

The Circuit Court's partners each expressed optimism about the program, as well.

"The Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program will ensure that homeowners in the hardest hit area of the state have the support and information they need to make sound decisions," said Gloria L. Materre, IHDA Executive Director. "Program counselors who are trained to negotiate with lenders and servicers will help guide struggling homeowners through their next steps."

"Legal advice and assistance is critical for homeowners facing foreclosure to understand and protect their legal rights and make informed decisions in the court process," said Bob Glaves, Executive Director of The Chicago Bar Foundation. "We commend the County Board and the Circuit Court for their leadership in establishing this program to help the growing number of people facing foreclosure to more effectively reach a fair resolution of their cases."

"The Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program can truly make a difference for thousands of our community residents at risk of losing their homes," said Roberto Requejo, program officer of The Chicago Community Trust. "Dealing with a foreclosure filing on your home is a very intimidating experience. Thanks to the program, more homeowners will access the Court knowing that they are not alone, but surrounded by a strong network of resources including housing counselors, legal aid providers and mediators, all of them available at no cost to homeowners."

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For more information, please visit: www.CookCountyForeclosureHelp.org. Also see fact sheet and Chancery Division General Administrative Order No. 2010-10 below.

Mortgage Mediation Program Fact Sheet

Order No. 2010-10

Chief Judge Evans announces Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Friday, March 26, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

The tour offers the public a sense of day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, a meeting with a panel of women judges of the Circuit Court for an informal presentation, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county resources.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at (312) 603-1927 on or before Monday, March 22, 2010. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit http://www.cookcountycourt.org/.

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Circuit Court to mark Black History Month with one week of courthouse tours

RMarasso — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Black History Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place from Monday, February 22, through Friday, February 26, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., the Cook County Bar Association, and the Illinois Judicial Council.

The tours offer the public a sense of day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings and includes a directory of court and county services.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Black History Month Courthouse Tours should contact Melanie Wheeler, the court’s African American Community Liaison, at 312.603.3587 or the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office at 312.603.1927 on or before Wednesday, February 17, 2010. The tours are recommended for persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

Statement by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans

RMarasso — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today released a letter he sent to Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart denying the Sheriff’s proposal to shorten hours at suburban courthouses during the week and close weekend bond courts in four suburban locations.

In his letter, Chief Judge Evans noted Dart’s proposals raise “serious issues of public safety, due process and court administration.” He added, “I would ask that, rather than reduce the times and places that court is in session, you pursue other remedies to assist your office that do not infringe on the administration of justice.”

Article Six of the Illinois Constitution gives the Chief Judge the sole authority to set “appropriate times and places of holding court.”

Evans acknowledged Dart is facing budgetary constraints and indicated he is willing to meet with him to discuss how Dart can comply with his statutory duty to staff each session of court and maintain the access to court facilities that is so important to public safety.

Circuit Court steps up response to domestic violence victims and their abusers

RMarasso — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Adopting one of the recommendations of the blue ribbon committee he appointed last year to study domestic violence court, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he will create a new division dedicated exclusively to hearing domestic violence matters. The goal of the division is to help victims of domestic violence and to increase efforts to stop the illegal activities of abusers to ultimately end the cycle of violence in each case.

Chief Judge Evans also announced he has appointed Judge Grace Dickler to lead the new division as its presiding judge. Judge Dickler is a 21 year veteran of the bench and chaired the Circuit Court’s Committee on Domestic Violence Court. She will be charged with the responsibility of overseeing the judiciary’s response to domestic violence matters and coordinating the delivery of court and community-based services to all those involved in domestic violence disputes.

Chief Judge Evans said, “With this new division, we are redoubling our efforts that we began when we opened the new Domestic Violence Courthouse four years ago to help end the cycle of violence. We are saying domestic violence continues to be a serious threat and deserves the added attention that this new division will bring to keep all those involved from falling through the cracks of the system.”

Chief Judge Evans thanked the members of the Circuit Court’s Committee on Domestic Violence Court who worked more that a year on developing their recommendations. He noted more work remains for the Committee, including the crafting of Circuit Court Rules to establish how the new division will operate and the development of critical information technology and record keeping procedures.

Other recommendations offered by the Committee are proposals for the new Domestic Violence Division to provide central administration for all civil and misdemeanor domestic violence matters and certain felony domestic violence matters filed in Chicago and all of suburban Cook County and for the presiding judge to oversee all judges hearing domestic violence matters at the Domestic Violence Courthouse and the five suburban municipal district courthouses in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Markham and Bridgeview.

Also under consideration is a compliance call in which persons served with civil orders of protection will be required to appear in court on a regular and frequent basis so that a judge can determine whether they are following the terms of the orders.

Other proposed reforms include a revamped triage system to help victims more quickly access court remedies and identify resources; increasing the availability of behavior changing interventions for abusers; and establishing a streamlined process to extend orders of protection when a criminal case ends but the victim remains fearful for her or his safety.

Declaring his intention give judges better tools to ensure justice is served in domestic violence cases, Chief Judge Evans said he expects judges in the new division will undergo specialized domestic violence training. The Committee’s recommendations also call for training of all court-based personnel in domestic violence, including employees of the Sheriff, the State’s Attorney, the Public Defender, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

The division is expected to launch January 19, 2010.

Chief Judge Evans announces date of Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2009. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

The Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Women’s History Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312-603-1927 on or before Friday, November 13, 2009. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans receives prestigious Willam H. Rehnquist Award

RMarasso — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., has been named recipient of the 2009 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence by the National Center for State Courts. One of the most prestigious judicial honors in the country, the Rehnquist Award is presented annually to a state court judge who exemplifies the highest level of judicial excellence, integrity, fairness, and professional ethics. Chief Judge Evans is the first judge from Illinois to receive the award, which was established in 1996.

Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts will present the award to Chief Judge Evans during a ceremony at the United States Supreme Court on November 19, 2009.

One of the nation’s highest judicial honors, the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence is named in honor of the late United States Supreme Court Chief Justice. It is awarded annually by the National Center for State Courts and honors state court judges who have demonstrated exceptional judicial leadership skills to address issues affecting their communities.

NCSC President Mary C. McQueen said Chief Judge Evans was chosen for “his innovative leadership in spearheading advancements in the administration of justice in Illinois.”

McQueen said that, in addition to being honored as a judge who exemplifies the highest level of judicial excellence, integrity, fairness and professional ethics, Chief Judge Evans is recognized for the following achievements:

• Supporting and managing the development of a new Domestic Violence Courthouse, which opened in 2005.

• Appointing women and minority judges to high profile supervisory positions in the court system to more closely reflect the communities they serve.

• Reducing the time from arraignment to disposition in felony cases, which helped to reduce the jail population.

• Expanding the use of problem-solving courts, including a new Mental Health Treatment Court for eligible criminal defendants.

• Establishing a separate section in the Chancery Division to help with the staggering number of mortgage foreclosure filings.

• Enacting sweeping reforms of bail setting procedures, creating a fairer system of pretrial justice.

Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, has described Chief Judge Evans as a “stellar judge administrator,” while judges in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Criminal Division, including Presiding Judge Paul P. Biebel, Jr., credit innovative reforms made by Chief Judge Evans as helping to “change the culture of the court” to respond to the needs of a large and diverse urban community.

First elected Chief Judge in September 2001 by unanimous vote of the circuit judges, Timothy C. Evans is currently serving his third term. As Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Judge Evans has administrative authority over the circuit’s approximately 430 judges, including 15 presiding judges; an annual budget of almost $204.9 million; nine courthouses; and more than 2,800 employees who work in 13 non-judicial offices providing probation and other court-related services.

The Circuit Court of Cook County is the largest of the 22 judicial circuits in Illinois and one of the largest unified trial court systems in the country, serving Cook County’s diverse population of more than 5million residents.

Chief Judge Evans has a 40-year history of excellence in public service that includes service as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago’s Law Department, a deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Investigations and an elected member of the Chicago City Council where he served for 18 years. In 1992, he was elected to the Cook County judiciary as a circuit judge and within three years, he rose to presiding judge of the Domestic Relations Division. He was appointed presiding judge of the Law Division in 2000, where he served until his election as Chief Judge.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a non-profit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, the National Center provides leadership, research, consulting, education, and training to the state courts.

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National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147

Date set for Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

The Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Friday, October 16, 2009. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Date announced for Annual Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

The Annual Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Latino Hispanic Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Friday, October 2, 2009. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

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Dates announced for Latino Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours

RMarasso — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Latino Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Monday, September 28 and Tuesday, September 29, 2009. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tours offer the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

The Annual Latino Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours are part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Latino Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Thursday, September 24, 2009. The tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Circuit Court of Cook County circuit judges to select 10 new associate judges

RMarasso — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and the Nominating Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County today announced the names of the 20 candidates chosen to appear on the ballot from which the circuit judges will select ten (10) new associate judges.

The Nominating Committee is made up of the following circuit judges:

Honorable Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge
Honorable Paul P. Biebel, Jr., Presiding Judge of Criminal Division
Honorable Henry A. Budzinski, Presiding Judge of Probate Division
Honorable Sophia H. Hall, Administrative Presiding Judge of Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Resource Section
Honorable Moshe Jacobius, Presiding Judge of Domestic Relations Division
Honorable Patricia M. Martin, Presiding Judge of Child Protection Division
Honorable Edmund Ponce de León, Presiding Judge of Fourth Municipal District
Honorable Shelley Sutker-Dermer, Presiding Judge of Second Municipal District
Honorable Joseph J. Urso, Presiding Judge of Third Municipal District
Honorable E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., Presiding Judge of First Municipal District

Chief Judge Evans noted the Nominating Committee interviewed 261 applicants over a five-week period and that the selection of the 20 candidates was unanimous. A total of 278 attorneys originally submitted applications for consideration, and 19 applicants withdrew.

At the request of Chief Judge Evans, all applicants were evaluated by The Chicago Bar Association and the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, which is made up of 10 bar associations. Each bar association issued its own ratings for individual associate judge applicants. Attached are the evaluations of the 20 candidates and a summary of the number of applicants found qualified and not qualified by each bar association.

Current Alliance members are as follows: the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, the Chicago Council of Lawyers, the Cook County Bar Association, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, and the Women's Bar Association.

Noting the importance of the bar evaluations to the selection process, Chief Judge Evans said, “The Nominating Committee and I are grateful to the member organizations of the Alliance and to The Chicago Bar Association for the extraordinary amount of time and effort that went into issuing ratings for the attorneys who applied in this associate judge process.”

Chief Judge Evans said, "I thank my colleagues on the Committee for the important work they performed for the court's associate judge selection process. The selected candidates reflect the Committee's consideration of legal excellence and variety of legal experience as well as diversity of race, ethnicity and gender. The selection of these candidates ensures the court's continued commitment that litigants coming before the bench can be confident of being treated fairly and justly.

"The Committee also strove to ensure fairness in the selection process itself, not limiting consideration to any single variable, but conducting a comprehensive overview of all aspects of a candidate, including bar ratings and career achievements and the potential of these attorneys to do justice once they are selected as members of the judiciary," said Chief Judge Evans.

The associate judge selection process is governed by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 39 and works as follows: the Nominating Committee must select twice as many qualified candidates as there are vacancies to be filled. The Chief Judge must then notify the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts of the names of the candidates selected by the Committee and request the Director to begin the balloting process. Within 14 days after the Chief Judge's notification, the Director mails a secret ballot with the names of the candidates to each circuit judge. The judges then vote for one candidate for each vacancy to be filled. The judges must return the ballots to the Director within 14 days of the date the ballots were distributed. The director then counts the ballots, which are accompanied by a signed card, tabulates the results and certifies them to the Chief Judge, at all times maintaining the secrecy of the ballots.

Below is the list of the 20 candidates chosen by the Circuit Court of Cook County Nominating Committee to fill the ten (10) vacancies that was forwarded to Cynthia Y. Cobbs, Esq., Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts:
Carmen Kathleen Aguilar
Thomas M. Battista
Clarence Lewis Burch
Theresa Christine Ceko
LaGuina Clay-Clark
Neil H. Cohen
Stephen James Connolly
William Edward Gomolinski
William Richard Jackson, Jr.
Demetrios George Kottaras
Yehuda P. Lebovits
Lori Gail Levin
Linda Johanna Pauel
Vicki Faye Rogers
Bernard Joseph Sarley
Regina Ann Scannicchio
Andrea M. Schleifer
Richard Denis Schwind
Ketki Shroff Steffen
Jeffrey L. Warnick

During the next few weeks, the candidates will present their credentials to the circuit judges. The Nominating Committee, in an effort to assist the process, has established three receptions as follows:

Monday, August 24, 2009, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Criminal Court Administration Building
Jury Assembly Room
2650 South California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Richard J. Daley Center
Jury Assembly Room, 17th floor
50 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois

Thursday, August 27, 2009, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cook County Juvenile Court Center
The Atrium, 2nd floor
1100 South Hamilton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

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Chief Judge Evans appoints new supervising judge for Housing Court

RMarasso — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has appointed Associate Judge William G. Pileggi as Supervising Judge of the Housing Section of the First Municipal District, effective July 16, 2009. Judge Pileggi succeeds Judge Sebastian T. Patti who has been appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Judge Pileggi, 58, will oversee the five judges who are assigned to the First Municipal District’s Housing Section, which covers the city of Chicago and unincorporated Cook County. The section hears matters pertaining to building code violations and compliance brought by the City of Chicago and Cook County which impact the health and safety of occupants and the community.

Chief Judge Evans said, “Judge Pileggi brings more than two decades of experience with real estate issues to his new assignment, having spent the majority of his time on the bench in Housing Court as well as having practiced extensively in that section of the court before becoming a judge. I have full confidence in his abilities to lead this critical section that affects the quality of life for so many residents.”

Chief Judge Evans continued, “With his thorough knowledge of the Housing Section’s day-to-day operations and keen insight into the myriad of cases filed there, Judge Pileggi will hit the ground running as its supervisor.”

An 11-year veteran of the bench, Judge Pileggi was first appointed an associate judge in May 1998. He was initially assigned to the Traffic Section of the First Municipal District hearing routine traffic matters as well as DUI and suspended license matters. That same year, he began his current assignment in the Housing Section of the First Municipal District. Over the past ten years, he has presided over every court call in the section which includes those for lead and heat violations, conservation, zoning and ordinance enforcement, demolition and unincorporated Cook County enforcement. He also presides over the condominium conversion fraud call created six months ago, at his suggestion.

Judge Pileggi said, “I am grateful and honored that Chief Judge Evans has given me this opportunity to serve as Supervising Judge and will do all that I can to fulfill the expectations he has set for me.”

From 2002 to 2005, Judge Pileggi was one of seven judges who were additionally assigned by Chief Judge Evans to the court’s Chancery Division as part of a pilot program to help address the explosion of mortgage foreclosure filings.

In addition to his judicial duties, Judge Pileggi also serves on the Circuit Court’s Housing Court Advisory Committee established in 1998 to restructure and revitalize Housing Court operations. As chair of the Subcommittee on Receiverships, Judge Pileggi helped to create a pilot program in 1998 which allows receivers to obtain funding to make repairs to dilapidated buildings. The program is an additional tool that lets judges preserve the housing stock when it is economically feasible to make repairs to bring buildings into compliance.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Pileggi was a partner with Pileggi, Guzman, Ginex and Fecarotta, a general practice firm, from 1981 to 1992. In 1985, he founded the Greater Illinois Title Company, an insurance provider for real estate transactions, and served as its general counsel from 1985 to 1998. Prior to entering private practice, he was an assistant state’s attorney in the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney from 1976 to 1981, serving in the Criminal Appeals Division, the First Municipal Criminal Division, and lastly, the Felony Trial Division.

A native of Chicago, Judge Pileggi received his J.D., with honors, from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1976 and his B.A. from Lewis College, Lockport, Illinois, in 1972. He is married to Roseanne M. Pileggi, and they have four children. Judge Pileggi is a member of The Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

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Markham courthouse reopens after short power failure

RMarasso — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced a brief electrical power outage in the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse, located at 16501 Kedzie Parkway in south suburban Markham, forced the cancellation of all afternoon court calls. The courthouse was closed briefly early this afternoon and reopened shortly after 2 p.m. Chief Judge Evans said the loss of power was related to severe weather.

An order issued by Sixth Municipal District Presiding Judge Marjorie C. Laws continued all traffic and misdemeanor cases of persons out on bond that had been scheduled for this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the Markham courthouse to Friday, August 13, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. The order continued all cases set for this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. for defendants in custody of the sheriff to Monday, July 13, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.

Chief Judge Evans announces date for Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Court Tour

RMarasso — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, June 10, 2009. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Monday, June 8, 2009. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

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Disclaimer

©2000-2009 Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County

Chief Judge Evans announces date for Annual Asian Pacific Am Heritage Month Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Chinese American Bar Association, the Filipino-American Bar Association, the Indian American Bar Association and the Korean American Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants also receive a copy of the court’s informational guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Monday, May 18, 2009. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

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Chief Judge Evans appoints Presiding Judges for Fifth and Sixth Municipal Districts

RMarasso — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has appointed Circuit Judge Marjorie C. Laws, a Criminal Division supervising judge and a past chairperson of the Illinois Judicial Council, as Presiding Judge of the Sixth Municipal District. She succeeds Sixth Municipal District Presiding Judge Ronald C. Riley who retires January 31, 2009.

Chief Judge Evans also announced he has appointed Circuit Judge David P. Sterba Presiding Judge of the Fifth Municipal District. Sterba has been serving as the Fifth District’s Acting Presiding Judge since April 22, 2008, following the death of that district’s Presiding Judge, Thomas F. Carmody, Jr.

“Judge Laws will be an effective leader for the court’s Sixth Municipal District. She has demonstrated extraordinary administrative skills both in supervising the narcotics courtrooms at 26th and California and chairing one of the state’s major judicial organizations, all while continuing to preside over significant matters,” said Chief Judge Evans. He also praised the excellent work of Judge Sterba in overseeing the court’s southwest suburban Fifth Municipal District and its court facility in Bridgeview.

The appointments of Laws and Sterba are effective February 2, 2009.

A 12-year veteran of the bench, Judge Laws was first elected a circuit judge in November 1996. She was initially assigned to the First Municipal District where she presided over felony preliminary hearings and later, domestic violence cases. In December 1998, she was assigned to the Juvenile Justice Division, hearing juvenile delinquency and criminal matters. In January 2000, she was assigned to the Criminal Division’s Felony Trial Division at 26th and California. In October 2005, she was additionally assigned as a supervising judge of the Criminal Division by Chief Judge Evans. She is one of five supervising judges who assist in the administration of the Criminal Division, one of the court’s largest divisions.

In addition to her judicial duties, Judge Laws served as chairperson of the Illinois Judicial Council, an organization of predominantly, but not exclusively, African American judges in the State of Illinois, from 2006 to 2007. In 2007, the Supreme Court of Illinois appointed Judge Laws to the Illinois Committee on Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases. In 2008, she served as faculty for the Judicial Education Conference sponsored by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Prior to her election to the bench, Judge Laws was an assistant state’s attorney in the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney from 1982 to 1996. She prosecuted misdemeanors and major felony cases, as well as causes involving child support enforcement, paternity adjudication and consumer fraud. From 1986 to 1988, she served as Deputy Director of that office’s Child Support Enforcement Unit. Before joining the state’s attorney’s office, from 1977 to 1982, Judge Laws was a title examiner with Chicago Title and Trust as well as a partner in Cunningham and Cunningham and Associates in Chicago.

A native of Welch, West Virginia, Judge Laws received her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1977 and her B.A. from West Virginia State College in 1974.

The Sixth Municipal District is the court’s geographical district which comprises the communities of southern Cook County. Its courthouse is located in south suburban Markham.

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Chief Judge Evans announces sweeping reforms to bail setting procedures

RMarasso — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced sweeping reforms of Central Bond Court at 26th and California. Pursuant to an order he issued today, arrestees will now physically appear before a judge for bail hearings instead of appearing via closed circuit television. Also for the first time, judges will now receive pretrial assessments of felony arrestees to give them access to objective information as they make decisions about the terms and conditions of bail.

The changes, which are effective December 15, 2008, comply with national standards set forth by the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies and the American Bar Association.

Also under the reforms, judges will be able to order comprehensive pretrial supervision by the court’s Pretrial Services Unit of the Adult Probation Department as a condition of bail, and detainees in the Cook County Jail can now expect ongoing review of their status to ensure the most efficient and effective use of pretrial release.

Chief Judge Evans said, “These reforms move us from a woefully inadequate pretrial system to one that improves an arrestee’s opportunity to receive due process. The result will be a fairer system of pretrial justice in which more information is available to the judge, the voice of the accused can be heard in person and the community can be better protected.”

“The reforms also underscore my emphasis on integrity as the means to enhance the way justice is done in Cook County,” Evans added.

Noting that ending the use of closed circuit television will restore dignity and effectiveness to bail hearings, Evans said, “Returning defendants physically to a courtroom puts them side by side with their attorneys, and face to face with the judge and the prosecutors, to pursue their quest for due process, which is the cornerstone of the national standards. The return of the accused to open court also permits family members and other witnesses to present testimony on behalf of and demonstrate support for the defendants.”

Evans said another key reform is the expansion of operations of the Pretrial Services Unit of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Adult Probation Department operating at 26th and California. The mission of the unit is to assist the court by preparing pretrial assessments of individuals charged with felonies for use by judges in making decisions about the terms and conditions of bail and by providing pretrial supervision to those released on bond. Pretrial assessments provide independent and impartial information about a detainee’s criminal history, ties to the community, and employment and health issues. Pretrial supervision monitors a defendant’s compliance with conditions of bail and provides guidance, surveillance and referrals to service providers to assist a defendant in fulfilling those conditions.

Staff of the Pretrial Services Unit of the Adult Probation Department will use a risk assessment instrument that is based on the nationally recognized Virginia Model to score an arrestee’s potential threat to public safety and risk for flight. In addition to the validated risk factors, the form also provides for the consideration of other pertinent facts to assist judges with the bail decision.

Other changes include the addition of a second court call on weekdays and the relocation of Central Bond Court to Room 100 of the Criminal Court Building. Chief Judge Evans said the offices of the State’s Attorney, the Public Defender, the Clerk, the Sheriff and the Chicago Police Department have all agreed to support the changes he has made.

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Chief Judge Evans bolsters Chancery Division to keep pace with rising foreclosure cases

RMarasso — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has appointed Judge Lewis Nixon to serve as the Supervising Judge of the Mortgage Foreclosure/Mechanics Lien Section of the Chancery Division to succeed Associate Judge Clifford L. Meacham, who will retire November 14, 2008. Chief Judge Evans also announced that he has increased the number of judges assigned to that Section from 10 to 14 to allow for the creation of four additional mortgage foreclosure calendars.

The elevation of Judge Nixon to Supervising Judge is effective September 22, 2008. The four judges joining the Section, effective that day as well, will be Judge Margaret A. Brennan, Associate Judge Sheila King Devane, Judge John C. Griffin, and Judge Thomas R. Mulroy, Jr. Judges Devane, Griffin and Mulroy are currently assigned to the First Municipal District while Judge Brennan has been serving in the Fifth Municipal District.

The Mortgage Foreclosure/Mechanics Lien Section hears all matters initiated under the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Act and all those concerning the rights of property owners, contractors and sub-contractors under construction contracts. Mortgage foreclosure filings in Cook County have increased in recent years from 15,632 in 2004 to 32,651 in 2007. Chancery Division Presiding Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird noted that the court is on course for a record 42,000 foreclosure filings in calendar year 2008, adding, “We are grateful to Chief Judge Evans for the reallocation of judicial resources to meet this unprecedented mortgage foreclosure explosion.”

In explaining his appointment of Judge Nixon as Supervising Judge, Chief Judge Evans underscored Judge Nixon’s extensive experience with single and multi-family mortgage foreclosures while serving as the principal legal counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Chicago for nearly two decades.

“I am looking to Judge Nixon to lead the Section in a renewed approach to the hearing of mechanics liens and mortgage foreclosure matters that is both innovative and humane,” Chief Judge Evans said. “I have full confidence that his considerable expertise and strong administrative background will have a positive impact on court operations in that high volume Section.

“Judge Nixon will also benefit from the valuable guidance of Judge Meacham, who has been an outstanding supervising judge, during the transition,” Evans added.

Judge Nixon was first appointed a circuit judge in November 2001 to fill an unexpired term. He was elected a circuit judge in 2002. He initially served in the Traffic Section of the First Municipal District. In 2003, he was additionally assigned to the Chancery Division’s Mortgage Foreclosure Pilot Project. In 2004, he was transferred from the First Municipal District to the Chancery Division’s Mechanics Lien Section and remained there when the redesigned Mortgage Foreclosure/Mechanics Lien Section was created in 2005 by Chief Judge Evans in response to the dramatic increase in mortgage foreclosures.

Prior to becoming a judge, Nixon, 59, was Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1983 to 2001, supervising the legal staff of the six-state Midwest region. From 1980 to 1983, he was a trial attorney for the Burlington Northern Railroad in Chicago, handling litigation, trials and appeals involving FELA (Federal Employees Liability Act) matters in the state and federal courts in Illinois. From 1979 to 1980, he was an associate at the Chicago firm Conklin & Adler handling aviation litigation. He began his career as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, prosecuting cases from 1975 to 1979.

Judge Nixon received his J.D. from DePaul University School of Law in 1974 and a B.A. from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, in 1971. During college and law school, he served as a 2nd lieutenant in the Illinois Army National Guard.

Judge Nixon has been an adjunct instructor at Roosevelt University’s School of Paralegal Studies in civil litigation and corporate law since 1989. He is a frequent presenter and panel member for seminars on mortgage foreclosure and construction fraud. He also taught trial practice for attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Legal Education Institute in Washington, D.C.

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Chief Judge Evans sets date for court’s Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit Court of Cook County Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Thursday, October 9, 2008. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour will include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive the court’s informational guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour Series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Polish Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Tuesday, October 7, 2008. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

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Chief Judge Evans announces dates for court’s annual National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours

RMarasso — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Thursday, September 25, 2008, and Friday, September 26, 2008. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tours offer the public a sense of day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour will include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

The Annual National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours are part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Monday, September 22, 2008. The tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. Tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

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Chief Judge Evans announces Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court

RMarasso — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has entered an order establishing the Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court and that he has appointed a veteran Domestic Relations Division judge, Honorable Grace G. Dickler, to serve as the Committee’s Chair.

Chief Judge Evans said, “When it opened in October 2005, the new Domestic Violence Courthouse on West Harrison Street in Chicago became a model for the nation. Its design was a collaborative effort that combined careful planning by court and county officials with input from advocacy groups. The result was a state of the art facility that segregates victims and their alleged abusers with separate entrances, elevators and waiting rooms. These much acclaimed aspects addressed inadequacies that had compromised public safety at the former facility at 13th and Michigan.

“The first charge I have set for the Committee and its Chair, Judge Dickler, is to re-examine operations at 555 West Harrison Street to ensure that the Circuit Court of Cook County remains on the cutting edge in providing a safe and secure environment for the hearing of domestic violence matters,” Evans said. “The Committee will then make recommendations to the Chief Judge on whether additional improvements are needed to help protect the safety of victims and the rights of the accused.”

Evans noted that the Committee will also review the procedures and practices for domestic violence matters currently in place in the court’s suburban district locations in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridegview, and Markham.

The members of the Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court are as follows:

Judge Grace G. Dickler
Domestic Relations Division, Circuit Court of Cook County

Arthur J. Lurigio, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Faculty
College of Arts and Sciences
Loyola University Chicago
Professor of Criminal Justice and Psychology

Mary S. Trew
Executive Director
Domestic Violence Legal Clinic

Dawn Dalton
Executive Director
Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network

Jim Thomas, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus
Northern Illinois University
Sociology/Criminal Justice

Vickii Coffey
Executive Director
Goodwill Industries of Metropolitan Chicago

Loretta Line
Advocacy and Education Director
YWCA Evanston/North Shore

Mary A. Melchor
President
Black Women Lawyers’ Association

Terrence M. Murphy, Executive Director
The Chicago Bar Association

Judge Benjamin S. Mackoff (Ret.)
Former Presiding Judge
Domestic Relations Division, Circuit Court of Cook County

Bridget Healy Ryan
Director of Public Affairs
Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney

Jesús Reyes, AM, LCSW
Acting Chief Probation Officer
Adult Probation Department, Circuit Court of Cook County
Director
Social Service Department, Circuit Court of Cook County

Zeophous (Z) Williams
President
Cook County Bar Association

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans
Ex officio member

Chief Judge Evans said he will ask other persons to serve on the Committee as he deems necessary.

Judge Dickler, the Committee Chair, has entered approximately 3,000 orders of protection throughout her judicial career which began in 1988 when she was appointed an associate judge. She was elected a circuit judge 2006. She initially served in the First Municipal District hearing traffic, bail and civil matters until her assignment to the Domestic Relations Division in 1991 where she remains to this day. She has been assigned to the Second Municipal District in Skokie since August 1999. Prior to becoming an associate judge, Dickler served as a U.S. Immigration Judge in U.S. Immigration Court from 1986 to 1988 and as an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Human Rights Commission from 1982 to 1985. Her legal experience prior to 1981 includes work for Travelers and Immigrants Aid, private practice and the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. She received her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1978 and her B.A. from DePaul University in 1975.

Matters heard at the Domestic Violence Courthouse include all criminal misdemeanor domestic violence cases originating in the City of Chicago, some proceedings for felony domestic violence cases, all civil and criminal calls for orders of protection and preliminary hearings in felony domestic violence cases. Misdemeanor jury cases are also heard there.

State of the art components of the facility on the first floor include separate security checkpoints at the entrance for victims and alleged offenders; a dedicated elevator for victims; a Victim Support Area that houses women’s advocacy groups, the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney, and a pro bono legal services office for victims seeking orders of protection; a private, secured waiting room; and the Children’s Advocacy Room and Child Advocacy Clinic where free childcare is available for parents while they attend to court business.

In addition, the courtrooms, which are located on the upper floors, have secured waiting rooms for victims. Alleged offenders who are in custody are brought in through the basement lock-up and up to courtrooms via a dedicated elevator that opens directly into the holding area.

The courthouse also has high tech courtrooms equipped with retractable ceiling projectors and screens, computer screen monitors, and Internet connections at counsels’ tables and on the bench. Security cameras are in place throughout the building and in the lock-up.

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Nominating Committee announces names of 18 associate judge candidates

RMarasso — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The ten-member Nominating Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County announced today the names of the 18 candidates who will appear on the ballot from which the circuit judges will select the 9 new associate judges. The Nominating Committee is made up of the following circuit judges:

The Nominating Committee interviewed 265 applicants over a four-week period. A total of 287 persons submitted applications for consideration; however, 22 applicants withdrew, one applicant died and one applicant withdrew after being interviewed by the Nominating Committee.

The Chicago Bar Association and the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, comprising 10 bar associations, conducted separate screenings for this associate judge process. Each bar association issued its own ratings for individual associate judge applicants. The Committee appreciated the time and the effort of each bar association in providing the evaluations which assisted in the selection process.

Current Alliance members are as follows: the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, the Chicago Council of Lawyers, the Cook County Bar Association, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, and the Women’s Bar Association.

Under Supreme Court Rule 39, the Nominating Committee must select twice as many qualified candidates as there are vacancies to be filled. In this case, 18 qualified candidates have been selected. The Chief Judge must then notify the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts of the names of the candidates selected by the Committee and request the Director to begin the balloting process. Within 14 days after the Chief Judge’s notification, the Director mails a secret ballot comprised of the names of each candidate to each circuit judge. The judges then vote for one candidate for each vacancy to be filled. In this case, 9 vacancies are to be filled. The judges must return the ballots to the Director within 14 days of the date the ballots were distributed. The director then counts the ballots which are accompanied by a signed card, tabulates the results and certifies them to the Chief Judge, at all times maintaining the secrecy of the ballots.

Chief Judge Evans noted that the selection of the 18 candidates by the Nominating Committee was unanimous. “I thank my colleagues on the Committee for the important work they performed for the court’s associate judge selection process,” Evans said. “The selected candidates reflect the Committee’s consideration of legal excellence and variety of legal experience as well as diversity of race, ethnicity and gender. The selection of these candidates ensures the court’s continued commitment that litigants coming before the bench can be confident of being treated fairly and justly.

“The Committee also strove to ensure fairness in the selection process itself, not limiting consideration to any single variable, but conducting a comprehensive overview of all aspects of a candidate, including bar ratings and career achievements and the potential of these attorneys to do justice once they ascend the bench,” said Chief Judge Evans.

Below is the list of the 18 candidates chosen by the Circuit Court of Cook County Nominating Committee that was forwarded to Cynthia Y. Cobbs, Esq., Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts:

Patrice Munzel Ball-Reed
Edward J. Barron
Laura Bertucci Smith
Yolaine Marie Dauphin
John Leonard Huff
William Richard Jackson
Margarita Teresele Kulys Hoffman
Pamela Mariam Leeming
Ellen Beth Mandeltort
Diann Karen Marsalek
Adrienne Denise Mebane
Thomas R. Mulroy
Bernard Joseph Murray
Michael Richard Panter
James Edward Snyder
Michael Alan Strom
Gregory Paul Vazquez
Lauretta Higgins Wolfson

During the next few weeks the candidates will be presenting their credentials to the circuit judges. The Nominating Committee, in an effort to assist the process, has established three receptions as follows:

Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Richard J. Daley Center
Jury Assembly Room, 17th floor
50 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois

Thursday, August 21, 2008, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cook County Juvenile Court Center
The Atrium, 2nd floor
1100 South Hamilton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Criminal Court Administration Building
Jury Assembly Room
2650 South California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

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Loss of power closes Markham courthouse

RMarasso — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse, located at 16501 Kedzie Parkway in south suburban Markham, closed at 2:30 p.m. today due to loss of the building’s electrical power. Chief Judge Evans said the loss of power was related to Monday’s severe weather and that the Markham courthouse will reopen as soon as service can be restored.

All civil cases that had been scheduled in courtroom 202 of the Markham courthouse for 1:30 p.m. today have been continued to August 27, 2008, at 1:30 p.m.

All traffic and misdemeanor cases of persons out on bond that had been scheduled for this afternoon in the Markham courthouse have been continued as follows:

Courtroom 104 to September 8, 2008, at 1:30 p.m.

Courtroom 201 to September 9, 2008, at 1 p.m.

Courtroom 204 to September 9, 2008, at 1 p.m.

Courtroom 098 to September 9, 2008, at 1 p.m.

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Chief Judge Evans announces decision on detention center administrator

RMarasso — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans issued the following statement concerning his decision today to defer appointment of a superintendent for the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) to allow, for the time being, the federal court-appointed transitional administrator, Earl Dunlap, to continue performing his duties at the facility:

"On August 14, 2007, in the federal court case of Jimmy Doe v. Cook County, 99 C 3945, Mr. Earl Dunlap was appointed transitional administrator of the JTDC to ‘oversee, supervise and direct’ all functions relating to the JTDC. Mr. Dunlap was charged with the responsibility to comply with administrative standards for the JTDC established by the federal court in the Memorandum of Agreement, Agreed Supplemental Order, and Modified Implementation Plan. In addition, the transitional administrator was vested with the responsibility ‘to foster an efficient and orderly transition of administrative and operational authority to the Chief Judge.’

"On January 1, 2008, the Illinois General Assembly transferred control of the JTDC to the chief judge, and gave me the authority to appoint a superintendent to administer the programs at that facility by June 30, 2008. However, I have chosen to defer such an appointment for now, allowing Mr. Dunlap more time to implement programs and procedures to fulfill the mandates of the federal court order until such time as I deem appropriate to appoint a superintendent as administrator of the center.

"For far too many years, the JTDC had the reputation of a non-functioning facility that merely warehoused children. I am committed to providing another chance for those children who find themselves in the JTDC, a chance for the bright future they have been denied that focuses on educational and career opportunities. And equally important, I insist that these children be provided with an environment at the JTDC that is free from violence and intimidation.

"In the 10 months that Mr. Dunlap has been the transitional administrator, it has been clear that he understands my overriding desire that the JTDC serve the best interest of the children of Cook County. It is also abundantly clear that Mr. Dunlap needs additional time to complete the tasks required by the federal court for transition to the chief judge, covered in, but not limited to, the order entered by the federal court.

"Because of the progress the transitional administrator has made, I have decided that it is in the best interest of the children that he have a fair opportunity to continue the work of bringing the JTDC into substantial compliance with the federal court order, the Memorandum of Agreement, and the Modified Implementation Plan.

"The federal court order also requires the transitional administrator to consult with and obtain input from the chief judge. I look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Dunlap to improve the children’s ability to succeed by establishing a new approach to employment and training of staff and other protocols.

"I also will expect and look forward to periodic progress reports from Mr. Dunlap to ensure that my expectations for improvements to the center are being met."

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Statement by Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans

RMarasso — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

On Friday, May 9, 2008, the Tinley Park Police Department arrested Judge Sheila McGinnis and charged her with the following offenses: driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to provide proof of valid insurance.

Today, I have issued an order assigning Judge Sheila McGinnis to restricted duties in the Office of First Municipal District Presiding Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., where she will perform administrative duties only, subject to further order of the court. The order is effective immediately.

My decision follows a meeting of the Circuit Court of Cook County Executive Committee held on Friday, May 16, 2008, to discuss the matter.

Up until the date of her arrest, Judge McGinnis had been fulfilling her assignment in the Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview, Illinois, where she heard misdemeanor cases, including DUI charges. On the Monday following her arrest, May 12, 2008, Judge Mc Ginnis was removed from her misdemeanor assignment and reassigned to hear civil matters only. Her new assignment, which is effective May 20, 2008, removes her completely from courtroom duties until further notice.

Judge McGinnis is set to appear in the Fifth Municipal District Bridgeview courthouse on June 6, 2008. I have asked the Supreme Court of Illinois, through its administrative arm, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, to assign a judge from a circuit other than Cook County to hear all matters involving the charges filed against Judge McGinnis.

The members of the Executive Committee who participated in the meeting held May 16, 2008, were as follows:

Honorable Timothy C Evans, Chief Judge

Honorable Paul P. Biebel, Jr., Presiding Judge, Criminal Division

Honorable Henry A. Budzinski, Presiding Judge, Probate Division

Honorable Sophia H. Hall, Presiding Judge, Juvenile Justice and

Child Protection Resource Section

Honorable Curtis Heaston, Presiding Judge, Juvenile Justice Division

Honorable Moshe Jacobius, Presiding Judge, Domestic Relations Division

Honorable Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird, Presiding Judge, Chancery Division

Honorable William D. Maddux, Presiding Judge, Law Division

Honorable Patricia M. Martin, Presiding Judge, Child Protection Division

Honorable Patrick E. McGann, Presiding Judge, County Division

Honorable E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., Presiding Judge, First Municipal District

Honorable Shelley Sutker-Dermer, Presiding Judge, Second Municipal District

Honorable Edmund Ponce de Leon, Presiding Judge, Fourth Municipal District

Honorable David P. Sterba, Acting Presiding Judge, Fifth Municipal District

Honorable Ronald C. Riley, Presiding Judge, Sixth Municipal District

Attached is Special Order 2008-23 addressing the reassignment of Judge McGinnis.

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY

SPECIAL ORDER NO.: 2008-23

SUBJECT: Assignment of Judge

In order to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary while taking into consideration the nature and severity of any charges against or implications of improper conduct by a judge, Supreme Court Rule 56 provides that a Chief Judge may temporarily assign a judge to restricted duties or duties other than judicial duties. The reasons for such assignment include, but are not limited to, a judge being formally charged with the commission of a crime which involves moral turpitude or reflects adversely upon the judge's fitness to serve, a judge allegedly violating the Code of Judicial Conduct or a judge being publicly implicated in conduct which, if true, would constitute impropriety or an appearance of impropriety which involves moral turpitude or threatens irreparable injury to the public, to the judicial branch of government, or to the orderly administration of justice. See Supreme Court Rule 56 (a)(1), (2) and (3).

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

To ensure the perception and reality of the highest standards of conduct, effective May 20, 2008, Judge Sheila McGinnis is assigned to restricted duties in the Office of the Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District performing administrative duties only, subject to further order of this court. Such assignment is made pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 56 (a)(1), (2) and (3), the court having considered that on May 9, 2008, the Tinley Park Police Department of Tinley Park, Illinois, arrested Judge Sheila McGinnis and charged her with the following offenses: driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to provide proof of valid insurance.

Dated this 20^th day of May, 2008. This order shall be spread upon the records of this court and published.

ENTERED:

_______________________________________

Timothy C. Evans

Chief Judge

Circuit Court of Cook County

Chief Judge Evans appoints Judge Sterba Acting Presiding Judge of Fifth Municipal District

RMarasso — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has appointed Circuit Judge David P. Sterba as Acting Presiding Judge of the court’s Fifth Municipal District located in southwest suburban Bridgeview, replacing Fifth Municipal District Presiding Judge Thomas F. Carmody, Jr. who died suddenly on Sunday. The appointment of Judge Sterba is effective immediately.

"With nearly 30 years of service in the court system of the Fifth Municipal District branch of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Judge David Sterba is an ideal individual to lead that district of the court as this time," Chief Judge Evans said. "I have the utmost confidence in his ability to perform the duties of an acting presiding judge."

Judge Sterba was elected a circuit judge in November 1996 and was immediately assigned to the Fifth Municipal District where he has remained for his entire judicial career. He initially presided over misdemeanor cases until his assignment to a felony courtroom in 1998. He served as Chair of the Fifth Municipal District’s Community Traffic Safety Initiatives Committee, a federally funded community education program, from 1998 to 2003. In his capacity as Chair, he spearheaded a number of programs, including a safety belt awareness program aimed at elementary school students and alcohol awareness programs for high school students. He also served as acting presiding judge for Judge Carmody on occasion.

Prior to joining the bench, Judge Sterba was a Deputy Sheriff in the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to the Fifth Municipal District, from 1979 to 1984. He was admitted to the bar in 1984, and joined the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as an assistant state’s attorney from 1985 until 1990, serving as a criminal prosecutor assigned to the Fifth Municipal District where he rose to felony prosecutor. From 1990 to 1996, he was a sole practitioner with a primary emphasis on criminal defense and personal injury litigation. Also, from 1990 to 1991, he served as legal counsel to the Village of Alsip Fire and Police Commission.

From 1994 to 1996, Judge Sterba was an instructor of business law and later criminal law at Moraine Valley Community College. He currently lectures on various topics, including the criminal justice system, consumer fraud, and the social, financial and legal implications of driving under the influence of alcohol and or drugs. Since 2005, he has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Kaplan University, teaching criminal law.

A member of the Southwest Bar Association, he has served on its Board of Directors and as past director of its Pro Bono program.

Judge Sterba has a long history of civic involvement in his community. He served as an elected member of the Board of Education of Consolidated High School District 230 from 1993 to 1996, chairing its Finance Committee at one point. Since 1998, he has been a kitchen volunteer for Public Action to Deliver Shelter (P.A.D.S.), also serving on its Board of Directors from 2001 to 2003. He also was a member of the Criminal Justice Program Advisory Committee for Moraine Valley College from 2002 to 2006.

Judge Sterba received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 1984 and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois, in 1979.

Chief Judge Evans announces Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour to be held on May 21, 2008

RMarasso — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2008. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Chinese American Bar Association, the Filipino-American Bar Association, the Indian American Bar Association and the Korean American Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour will include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s informational guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour should contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Friday, May 16, 2008. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans orders the County Board to fund court operations

RMarasso — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today issued the following statement:

"The Circuit Court of Cook County has the inherent authority and power to require the Cook County Board to provide court facilities, personnel and other resources reasonably necessary to enable it to perform its judicial duties with efficiency, independence and dignity. Should the County Board fail to adopt a budget for FY 2008, such funding will cease, effective 12 midnight tonight leaving the Circuit Court unable to perform its court operations on behalf of the people of Cook County, denying them access to justice.

"In light of these exigent circumstances, I have entered a general administrative order at 2:45 p.m. today that allows all court proceedings and court-related offices and agencies to continue to operate. Notwithstanding the fiscal needs of Cook County government, the court system must continue to operate at current capacity if we are to provide due process to all persons who come before the court and preserve the integrity and efficiency of our court system.

"The order, which becomes effective at 12:00 a.m., Saturday, March 1, 2008, (copy below) directs all employees of the Circuit Court of Cook County and its various divisions, as well as employees of the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Office of the Sheriff, to report to work as scheduled.

"Employees of the Circuit Court of Cook County include those assigned to the following departments and programs: Adult Probation, Children’s Advocacy Rooms, Expedited Child Support, Forensic Clinical Services, Interpreter Services, the judiciary, Jury Administration, Juvenile Court Clinic, Juvenile Probation and Court Services, the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Marriage and Family Counseling, Office of the Chief Judge, Parenting Education Program, Office of the Public Guardian, Social Service, child protection mediation, and grant-funded programs. These sections deliver services that are necessary for the court to perform its functions.

"The order also directs the Cook County Board to provide the necessary funds to allow the court and the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Office of the Sheriff to provide services at current levels.

"Historically, the President of the Cook County Board and the Commissioners have done an admirable job of providing the court with resources. However, in the event that they are unable to resolve their differences, this order will ensure access to justice and preserve public safety."

The Circuit Court of Cook County is one of the largest unified court systems in the country. As of December 1, 2007, a total of 975,185 cases were pending before the court. In FY 2007, the court’s total caseload consisted of 1,875,449 new cases filed, and 1,757,666 cases disposed.

###

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

General Administrative Order No.: 2008-01

Subject: Continued Access to Justice Pending Approval of County Budget

The Board of Commissioners of Cook County ("County Board") not having approved an annual budget for Cook County for the fiscal year beginning December 1, 2007, (hereinafter "FY2008") there is a significant possibility that the County Board may, for an unknown period of time, discontinue funding county operations at current levels. Such discontinued funding would cause the Circuit Court of Cook County to be unable to perform its court operations on behalf of the citizens of Cook County.

The Illinois Supreme Court has held that, "the Illinois Constitution contemplates [o]nly one unified court system operating statewide and does not contemplate nor does it authorize the exercise of any control over or permit the imposition of a burden on the judicial system by any local entity." Orenic v. Illinois State Labor Relations Bd., 127 Ill. 2d 453, 480 (1989).

Should the County Board fail to adopt an annual budget for FY2008 by Friday, February 29, 2008, this court has the inherent authority and power "to protect [itself] and require production of the facilities, personnel and resources reasonably necessary to enable [it] to perform [its] judicial functions with efficiency, independence and dignity," Knuepfer v. Fawell, 96 Ill. 2d 284, 293 (1983).

Therefore, in order to provide continued access to justice for the residents of Cook County,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

Effective 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 1, 2008,

1. Pursuant to the Counties Code, 55 ILCS 5/3-6023, the Sheriff of Cook County shall attend all sessions of the court at the times and places previously established by rule or order and obey the lawful orders and directions of the court, and shall maintain the security of the courthouses;

2. Pursuant to the Clerks of Courts Act, 705 ILCS 105/13, the Circuit Clerk of Cook County shall attend all sessions of the court at the times and places previously established by rule or order and do and perform all other duties pertaining to their offices, as may be required by law or the rules and orders;

3. Pursuant to the Counties Code, 55 ILCS 5/5-1106, the County Board of Cook County shall provide reasonable and necessary expenses for the use of the sheriff, circuit clerk, and judges of the circuit court, including but not limited to all operations of the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

4. All court operations at all court locations, including but not limited to, probation services, forensic clinical services, marriage and family counseling services, jury administration, expedited child support, children’s advocacy rooms, public guardian, interpreter services, Juvenile Court Clinic, child protection mediation services and all other operations or functions performed by employees of the Circuit Court of Cook County in the following departments and/or divisions: Adult Probation Department, Judiciary, Office of the Public Guardian, Office of the Chief Judge, Forensic Clinical Services, Social Service Department, Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department, Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and grant-funded programs will continue uninterrupted, as these operations and employees are necessary for the court to perform its functions.

************************

Dated this 29^th day of February, 2008. This order shall be spread upon the records of this Court and published.

ENTERED:

___________________________

Timothy C. Evans

Chief Judge

Circuit Court of Cook County

Chief Judge Evans announces Annual Women's History Month Courthouse Tour to be held March 28, 2008

RMarasso — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Friday, March 28, 2008. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a panel of women judges from the Circuit Court, and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s informational guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Tuesday, March 25, 2008. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces Annual Black History Month Courthouse Tours

RMarasso — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Black History Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, through Friday, February 22, 2008, and the following week from Monday, February 25, 2008, through Wednesday, February 27, 2008.

"I thank the court’s tour co-sponsors, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., the Cook County Bar Association, and the Illinois Judicial Council, for their dedication and commitment in helping us to meet public demand for this event," said Chief Judge Evans.

The tours offer the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge, and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court's informational guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Black History Month Courthouse Tours are part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Black History Month Courthouse Tours may contact Melanie Wheeler, the court’s African American Community Liaison, at 312.603.3587 or the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office at 312.603.1927 on or before Thursday, February 14, 2008. Tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, November 14, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

The Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312-603-1927 on or before Friday, November 9, 2007. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour departs at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph Street and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Friday, October 26, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

The Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Puerto Rican Heritage Day and Women’s History Month. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Wednesday, October 24, 2007. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour departs at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph Street and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces date for Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Friday, October 19, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

The Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour Series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Polish Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before October 17, 2007. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour departs at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph Street and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, please visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Evans overwhelmingly re-elected to third term as Chief Judge

RMarasso — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Pursuant to secret ballots cast by 251 circuit judges eligible to vote, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans was re-elected by a landslide to his third consecutive term, yesterday, September 11, 2007. Evans, 64, was unopposed.

In a letter to the judges sent prior to the election, Chief Judge Evans hailed the Circuit Court as "a pillar of just government" and attributed its success to the legally sound and compassionate decisions that are rendered by its judges. Following the election, Chief Judge Evans said, "At this point of starting my third term, I see the Circuit Court at the beginning of a golden era, not unlike the Golden Age of Greece."

Chief Judge Evans continued, "It is my belief that the talented and capable judges who serve in Cook County will always respect our country’s democratic principles and always pursue a quest for fairness and justice in our courts. It is my hope that it may be said of the judges of the Circuit Court during this period that they used their sage wisdom and vast reservoir of legal knowledge to protect the rights of all who came before them, and that in performing their tasks, as it was said of the ancient Greeks, ‘Their brilliance rivaled the splendor of the midday sun.’"

Chief Judge Evans will serve a three-year term ending the first Monday of December 2010. He was first elected to the position of Chief Judge on September 12, 2001. Only the fourth person to serve as Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, he also is the first African American to serve in the position.

During the six-year period Evans has served as Chief Judge, the Circuit Court of Cook County has seen many innovative and compassionate additions, including such improvements as a new Domestic Violence Courthouse, a new Mental Health Court and expanded drug treatment courts. Evans has also overseen the expansion of Advocacy Rooms for children of litigants and implemented new help desks for self-represented litigants and housing court changes that have better informed the public about it’s rights before the courts. Other achievements include national recognition of highly effective alternatives to incarceration for delinquent minors and consistently administering budgets that hold the line and protect the public’s right to fair hearings.

###

Markham courthouse reopened today at 1 p.m., cases rescheduled

RMarasso — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced all civil and criminal cases that were cancelled for today, August 27, 2007, due to the closing of the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse, 16501 South Kedzie Parkway, Markham, Illinois, have been rescheduled by order of court to new dates. The times and courtrooms for all continued appearances will remain the same as had been previously scheduled.

The cases of all defendants who are in the custody of the Sheriff that had been rescheduled to today, August 27, 2007, from Friday, August 24, 2007, due to the power outage are continued to tomorrow, Tuesday, August 28, 2007.

The cases of all defendants who are in the custody of the Sheriff that had been previously scheduled for Monday, August 27, 2007, are continued to Wednesday, August 29, 2007.

All felony cases of individuals out on bond that had been scheduled for today are continued to Friday, August 31, 2007.

All civil cases that were scheduled for today are continued to Friday, August 31, 2007.

All traffic and misdemeanor cases of individuals out on bond are continued to Monday, October 1, 2007.

Markham courthouse remains closed

RMarasso — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in south suburban Markham will remain closed today, Monday, August 27, 2007, except for a bond call for defendants in police custody who have not yet had an initial court appearance for the setting of bail.

The courthouse had been closed on Friday, August 24, due to a loss of electrical power and communications caused by inclement weather.

The Sixth Municipal District courthouse is located at 16501 South Kedzie Parkway in Markham.

An announcement will be made as soon the Office of the Chief Judge is notified when power has been restored to the courthouse and when an order has been issued rescheduling today’s cases for hearing.

Chief Judge Evans announces dates for court's annual National Latino/Hispanic Month Courthouse Tours

RMarasso — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Thursday, September 27, 2007, and Friday, September 28, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tours offer the public a sense of the day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Monday, September 24, 2007. The tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph Street and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces temporary closing of two suburban courthouses

RMarasso — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Third Municipal District courthouse in north suburban Rolling Meadows and the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in south suburban Markham will be closed today, Friday, August 24, 2007, due to a loss of power and communications caused by last night’s inclement weather.

The Third Municipal District courthouse is located at 2121 Euclid, Rolling Meadows; the Sixth Municipal District courthouse is located at 16501 South Kedzie Parkway in Markham.

Chief Judge Evans said the plan is to reopen both courthouses as soon as services can be restored.

All civil cases that were scheduled for today in both Rolling Meadows and Markham will be continued by order of court to Friday, August 31, 2007, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today.

The criminal cases of all defendants who are in custody of the Sheriff who were scheduled for today in both Rolling Meadows and Markham will be continued by order of court to Monday, August 27, 2007, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today. Felony cases of individuals out on bond, also at both court locations, are continued to Friday, August 31, 2007, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today.

All traffic and misdemeanor cases of individuals out on bond that were scheduled for today in Rolling Meadows are continued by order of court to Thursday, September 27, 2007, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today. All traffic and misdemeanor cases of individuals out on bond that were scheduled for today in Markham are continued by order of court to Friday, September 28, 2007, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today.

Chief Judge Evans announces free legal services for at-risk families at new bi-lingual help desk

RMarasso — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Relations Division Presiding Judge Moshe Jacobius announced the opening today of a help desk in the court’s Domestic Relations Division where litigants unable to afford an attorney can receive free legal advice for their child support enforcement and paternity cases, including those filed through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

The new Expedited Child Support and Paternity Help Desk, a joint project of the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Chicago Legal Clinic, is located in the office of the court’s Expedited Child Support Program at 32 West Randolph Street, Suite 1400, in downtown Chicago. The program was created by the Supreme Court of Illinois in 1992 and uses an expedited hearing process to more quickly resolve Cook County’s high volume of paternity and child support disputes for unmarried, low-income persons. Hearing officers conduct hearings and make recommended orders to a judge for final approval. Orders typically cover agreed parentage, genetic testing of parties and children, discovery status, setting of child support, modifying child support, non-payment of support judgements and termination of support orders.

"The Circuit Court continues to support the implementation of help desks in those sections of the court where the challenges posed to and by litigants who represent themselves are greatest," said Chief Judge Evans. Currently, there are court-based help desks that provide various forms of assistance with the following matters: evictions, debt collection, small claims, divorce proceedings, foreclosures and obtaining the guardianship of a minor.

"Our goal is to improve access to the court system for the vulnerable population served by the Expedited Child Support Program while continuing to process the cases in a timely, fair and efficient manner," Chief Judge Evans added.

Expedited Child Support Program Director Yehuda Lebovits noted that 25,630 child support enforcement cases were filed through the State of Illinois’s IV-D Child Support Enforcement Program of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in fiscal year 2005.

In addition to free legal advice on parentage and child support matters, help desk services include explanation of court procedures and orders, assistance with filling out court-required forms, and referral to an attorney or legal aid agency when self-representation is not in a litigant’s best interests. Assistance in identifying related social service resources will also be available.

The help desk will be staffed by two attorneys and a support assistant, all bilingual in Spanish and English, from the Chicago Legal Clinic. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and clients are served on a first come-first served basis. Help desk attorneys will not represent clients in court.

Chicago Legal Clinic co-founder and executive director Edward Grossman noted that the Expedited Child Support and Paternity Help Desk fits squarely with the mission of the Clinic as one of the primary providers of legal services to Chicago’s poor for the past 26 years. "This help desk is a really great opportunity for us to help between 1,800 and 2,400 clients in the first year of operation. These are clients facing difficult issues in a complex legal process who otherwise would have no access to legal services," said Grossman.

The Expedited Child Support and Paternity Help Desk was made possible by funding from the Chicago Bar Foundation, the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Illinois Bar Foundation, and the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, as well as in-kind contributions from the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Chief Judge Evans announces 2007 Mock Trial winners

RMarasso — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced the individual and team winners of the 2007 City Mock Trials Competition, which drew 560 students from 28 Chicago public schools. In its 24^th year, the competition is sponsored by the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education which is made of the Circuit Court, the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, The Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Public Schools.

The winners in the Individual Competition Finals held May 23, 2007, at the Richard J. Daley Center were Jessica Matos, Roberto Clemente Community Academy; Dominic McGregory, Hirsch Metropolitan School for Communication; Trevor Townsend, Benito Juarez Community Academy; and Christopher Swann, Harlan High School. Individual winners were awarded U.S. Savings Bonds donated by Sidley Austin LLP.

In the Team Competition Finals held May 9, 2007, in the Daley Center, the four schools receiving the highest scores were Hirsch Metropolitan School for Communication, Hubbard High School, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, and Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center. Each team received a plaque.

During the two-month legal skills competition, students prepared and presented a fictitious criminal case, People v. Peterson. Former summer associates from Sidley Austin LLP created and wrote the case, which involved a high school student charged with aggravated assault in connection with a hazing incident.

Students were coached on the legal system by volunteer lawyers, and 43 judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County volunteered after regular business hours to preside over the three rounds of competitions. Presiding judges for the finals held on May 23, 2007, were Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, Law Division; Judge Maureen Durkin Roy, Law Division; and Judge Raul Vega, Domestic Relations Division.

Circuit Court honors graduates of Criminal Division Drug Treatment Court

RMarasso — Wed, 23 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Criminal Division Presiding Judge Paul P. Biebel, Jr. have announced that the Circuit Court will host a graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. at the Criminal Court Administration Building, 2650 S. California Avenue, 3^rd Floor, for a group of felony probationers who have completed R.A.P. (Rehabilitation Alternative Probation), the Criminal Division's Drug Treatment Court Program.

The graduating class of approximately 26 graduates will bring the total program graduates to just over 500. There have been 16 graduations since the program began in 1997.

The RAP drug treatment court program operates as an alternative sentencing disposition that offers treatment and close supervision for certain high-risk substance abusing defendants. Eligible defendants are those already on probation for a nonviolent felony who have been charged with a new drug offense, resulting in violation of the conditions of their probation. Admittance into the RAP program requires the consent of the defendant, and completion of treatment becomes a condition of their new probation. Failure to complete the program results in prosecution of the violation of probation.

The RAP program is a rigorous 18 month regimen that includes individual and group counseling through community-based resources, frequent status hearings before the program judge, increased face-to-face meetings with a probation officer and mandatory drug testing. Assistance with educational needs, employment opportunities, vocational training and family counseling are also offered.

RAP graduates receive a certificate of achievement signed by Chief Judge Timothy Evans and presented by the Criminal Division drug court judge, Associate Judge Lawrence P. Fox. Graduates are always given the opportunity to speak about the way drug treatment court has affected their recovery.

The graduation is open to media. For details on gaining access to the Criminal Court Building, media should contact Susan Stanger, Program Coordinator, at 773.869.5127.

Chief Judge Evans announces Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, June 13, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s informational guide, translated into Spanish, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Monday, June 11, 2007. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

149 Associate Judges Seek Retention

RMarasso — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that 149 associate judges have filed requests for reappointment when their terms expire June 30, 2007, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 39 (a).

Associate judges seeking retention were required to file requests for reappointment with Chief Judge Evans between January 1, 2007, and April 2, 2007. The Supreme Court later extended the request for reappointment deadline to April 30, 2007, to allow 31 associate judges to file their requests for reappointment following their oath of office on April 11, 2007.

Two associate judges did not seek reappointment due to compulsory retirement provisions of 705 ILCS 55/1. Of those two, one was recalled for service for a term ending December 6, 2009.

Circuit judges will vote by secret ballot for the reappointment of the associate judges seeking retention. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts will distribute ballots on approximately May 21, 2007, in accordance with Rule 39(a). Completed ballots must be delivered to the AOIC within 14 days of the date of distribution. The AOIC director will tabulate the votes and certify the results to Chief Judge Evans. Reappointment requires a favorable vote of three-fifths of the circuit judges voting on the matter. The new four-year term for associate judges begins on July 1, 2007.

The associate judges seeking retention will be evaluated by the Chicago Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee. Associate judges who have been evaluated within the last two years for any judicial office will not be re-evaluated.

Chief Judge Evans said the Circuit Court of Cook County Executive Committee will accept written comments concerning any associate judge seeking retention. Letters should be sent to the Executive Committee, c/o Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, 2600 Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

The associate judges seeking retention are as follows:

ALONSO, Jorge Luis

ANTONIETTI, Edward A.

ATKINS, David B.

AXELROOD, Larry G.

BAIRD, Callie Lynn

BAKER, Reginald H.

BALLARD, Mark J.

BEDOYA-WITT, Consuelo E.

BERGER, Helaine Leslie

BETAR, Samuel J., III

BOURGEOIS, Adam Donald, Jr.

BOURGEOIS, Yolande M.

BOWDEN, Darron Edward

BOYD, William Stewart

BRODHAY, Stephen Y.

BROWN, Michael

BROWNFIELD, Gary L.

BUDZINSKI, Elizabeth M.

BURKE, Dennis J.

CALABRESE, Anthony John

CARR, John Thomas

CASTIGLIONE, Frank

CESARIO, Cheryl D.

CHAMBERS, Timothy J.

CHIAMPAS, Peggy

CLAPS, Joseph Michael

CLIFFORD, Robert J.

COCO, Gloria G.

COLEMAN, Susan M.

CONDON, Thomas J.

CUNNINGHAM, Abishi C.

CURCIO, Lisa R.

DALY, Noreen Marie

DAVIS, Ronald S.

DEBONI, Frank

DELORT, Mathias William

DERNBACH, Dennis A.

DESIERTO, Israel A.

DEVANE, Sheila King

DONNELLY, Thomas More

EDIDIN, Lauren Gottainer

ETCHINGHAM, James P.

FEERICK, Maureen P.

FERNANDEZ, Fe

FINK, Howard L.

FLAHERTY, Brian K.

FLOOD, Lawrence Edward

FOX, Lawrence P.

GAINER, Thomas V., Jr.

GARBER, Sheldon C.

GILLESPIE, Daniel T.

GILLESPIE, Pamela Hughes

GILLIS, Susan

GINEX, Gregory Robert

GOEBEL, Steven J.

GOLDFARB, Renee G.

GREENBLATT, Joel Leslie

GRIFFIN, Maxwell, Jr.

GROSSI, Gilbert J.

HAMILTON, R. Morgan

HARACZ, David E.

HAVIS, Donald R.

HENNELLY, Thomas J.

HIGGINS, Rosemary Grant

HILL, Arthur F., Jr.

HOFFENBERG, Earl B.

HOUSER, Ann

HUGHES, Bridget Jane

HYLAND, Colleen Ann

HYNES, John Joseph

JACKSON, Marianne

JOHNSON, Moira S.

JOYCE, Timothy Joseph

KARAHALIOS, James N.

KARAHALIOS, Pamela G.

KATZ, Nancy J.

KATZ, Stuart Paul

KAWAMOTO, Lynne

KIPPERMAN, Carol A.

KOGAN, Randye A.

KURIAKOS CIESIL, Maria

LEVINSON, Alfred L.

LINEHAN, Neil J.

LINN, James B.

LOGUE, Patricia Marian

LOPEZ, Mark Joseph

LUSTIG, Patrick Foran

MACHNIK, Thaddeus Stephan

MALAK, Jeffrey A.

MCDONOUGH, Martin E.

MCGRATH, Brigid Mary

MEACHAM, Clifford L.

MENDOZA, Patricia

MINELLA, Mary R.

MIRANDA, Daniel R.

MOLTZ, Martin Paul

MURRAY, Leonard

MURRAY, Michael J.

MYLES, Raymond

NOVAK, Rita M.

O’BRIEN, Gregory M.

O’HARA, Thomas J.

OBBISH, James Michael

ORR, Marcia B.

PANARESE, Donald D., Jr.

PANARESE, Joseph D.

PANICI, Luciano

PANOZZO, Kathleen Ann

PAUL, Alfred J.

PERIVOLIDIS, Arthur C.

PETRONE, Angela Munari

PILEGGI, William G.

PORTER, Dennis J.

QUINN, Carolyn

QUINN, Marguerite Anne

REYES, Jesse G.

REYNOLDS, Jeanne Marie

RIEBMAN, Hyman I.

RIVERA, Elizabeth Loredo

RYAN, James J.

SACKS, Stanley

SALONE, Marcus R.

SCHUSTER, Naomi Hornick

SCONZA, Joseph M.

SCOTILLO, John J.

SENECHALLE, Robert E., Jr.

SHARKEY, Terrence V.

SHIELDS, Karen G.

SIMKO, Darryl B.

SIMMONS, Michele M.

SIMPSON, Douglas J.

SKRYD, David A.

SMITH, Terence Blair

STEPHENSON, Domenica A.

STEVENS, Richard Anthony

SUMNER, Thomas R.

TAILOR, Sanjay T.

THOMAS, Sybil C.

TOLMAIRE, Elmer James, III

TOURTELOT, John D.

TUCKER, Thomas M.

VALDERRAMA, Franklin Ulyses

VAN TINE, Rena Marie

WALSH, Neera Lall

WASILEWSKI, John A.

WELTER, Daniel G.

WOLFSON, Lori M.

WOOL, Leon

ZAFIRATOS, James A.

Chief Judge Evans announces launch of "how to" DVD for eviction court litigants

RMarasso — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and First Municipal District Presiding Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. today announced that beginning May 2, 2007, pro se tenants and landlords in eviction cases will be able to watch a DVD in a courtroom of the Richard J. Daley Center to learn how to proceed when they go to court.

A joint effort of the Circuit Court of Cook County, the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) and the Housing Advisory Consortium, the DVD, Going to Eviction Court, was filmed and produced by Illinois Legal Aid. Funding for the project was from United Way of Metropolitan Chicago through a Venture Grant to LCBH.

Chief Judge Evans said, "The daily showing of an educational DVD is a milestone in the court-based assistance programs that the Circuit Court offers to eviction court litigants who are representing themselves. The court greatly appreciates the work of the fine people at the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing and the Housing Advisory Consortium in helping to achieve this goal."

Evans noted that common eviction court procedures and appropriate decisions by judges are often incorrectly perceived as biased or unfair by pro se litigants when it is simply a matter of their lacking correct information. "Encouraging pro se eviction court litigants to watch the DVD before their initial court appearance should result in their gaining a greater understanding of court procedure and increased confidence in the court system," Chief Judge Evans said. He also said he expects the information presented in the DVD will contribute to eviction court proceedings running more smoothly and efficiently.

Going to Eviction Court will be shown in Courtroom 1402 of the Daley Center every day court is in session at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., prior to the holding of eviction court hearings. The 18-minute DVD walks landlords and tenants through the various steps of a hearing in an eviction case, instructing them on what to bring to court, proper court decorum and how to present their case to the judge.

While the DVD is aimed at litigants preparing for their initial eviction court hearing, anyone is welcome to attend. It may also be viewed online at www.illinoislegalaidonline.org. Persons without Internet access at home can access the Internet for free at all Chicago Public Library branches.

Currently the Circuit Court operates a number of help desks and programs located in the Daley Center and at the George W. Dunne County Office Building, 69 West Washington Street, Chicago, aimed at providing free assistance to those who choose to represent themselves in a variety of court proceedings. For more information, go to www.cookcountycourt.org, under "Programs and Services."

Chief Judge Evans announces Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour to be held on May 23, 2007

RMarasso — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit of Cook County Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, May 23, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Chinese American Bar Association, the Filipino-American Bar Association, the Indian American Bar Association and the Korean American Bar Association.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Highlights of the tour include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge and a meeting with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s information guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

The Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Arab Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927 on or before Monday, May 21, 2007. Tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. Tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Chief Judge Evans announces Annual Women's History Month Courthouse Tour to be held March 27, 2007

RMarasso — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Monday, March 27, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

The tour offers the public a sense of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include visiting a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, meeting with a panel of women judges of the Circuit Court for an informal presentation, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives.

Tour participants receive a copy of the court’s information guide which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office at 312.603.1927 on or before Wednesday, March 22, 2007. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Nominating Committee announces names of 62 associate judge candidates

RMarasso — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The ten-member Nominating Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County announced today the names of the 62 candidates who will appear on the ballot from which the circuit judges will select the 31 new associate judges. The Nominating Committee comprises the following individuals:

Honorable Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court

Honorable Paul P. Biebel, Jr., Presiding Judge of Criminal Division

Honorable Patricia Martin Bishop, Presiding Judge of Child Protection Division

Honorable Henry A. Budzinski, Presiding Judge of Probate Division

Honorable Sophia H. Hall, Administrative Presiding Judge of Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Resource Section

Honorable Moshe Jacobius, Presiding Judge of Domestic Relations Division

Honorable Edmund Ponce de Leon, Presiding Judge of Fourth Municipal District

Honorable Shelley Sutker-Dermer, Presiding Judge of Second Municipal District

Honorable Joseph J. Urso, Presiding Judge of Third Municipal District

Honorable E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., Presiding Judge of First Municipal District

The Nominating Committee interviewed 242 applicants over a period of two-months. A total of 267 persons submitted applications for consideration.

The Chicago Bar Association and the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, comprising 10 bar associations, conducted separate screenings for this current associate judge process. Each bar association issued its own ratings for individual associate judge applicants. However, not all applicants were interviewed by the associations during the current process due to the extension of the legal effectiveness of the applicants’ previous bar ratings by the associations. The Chicago Bar Association did not reevaluate those applicants who had been evaluated within the last two years, and allowed those applicants evaluated between two and six years ago and found "Qualified" or "Highly Qualified" to keep their ratings. However, for those individuals who were last evaluated as candidates for circuit judge and were rated "Highly Qualified," the official rating applicable to their current candidacy for associate judge is "Qualified" which is the highest rating that the CBA gives to associate judge applicants.

The Alliance has extended the legal effectiveness of its positive ratings to five years; negative ratings are in effect for three years, with applicants given the opportunity to appeal. Current Alliance members are as follows: the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, the Chicago Council of Lawyers, the Cook County Bar Association, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, and the Women’s Bar Association.

Under Supreme Court Rule 39, the Nominating Committee must select twice as many qualified candidates as there are vacancies to be filled. In this case, 62 qualified candidates have been selected. The Chief Judge must then notify the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts of the names of the candidates selected by the Committee and request the Director to begin the balloting process. Within 14 days after the Chief Judge’s notification, the Director mails a secret ballot comprised of the names of each candidate to each circuit judge. The judges then vote for one candidate for each vacancy to be filled. In this case, 31 vacancies are to be filled. The judges must return the ballots to the Director within 14 days of the date the ballots were distributed. The director then counts the ballots which are accompanied by a signed card, tabulates the results and certifies them to the Chief Judge, at all times maintaining the secrecy of the ballots.

The 31 associate judgeships encompass 22 vacancies and an additional nine (9) positions created as a result of the 2000 federal census and authorized by the Supreme Court of Illinois.

Noting that the selection of the 62 candidates by the Nominating Committee was unanimous, Chief Judge Evans said, "I am grateful to the members of the Committee for their dedication to the interview process and for their superior work." Evans added, "These finalists represent our collective efforts to name distinguished candidates who are rich in diversity and who demonstrate a history of excellence in the law."

Below is the list of the 62 candidates chosen by the Circuit Court of Cook County Nominating Committee that was forwarded to Cynthia Y. Cobbs, Esq., Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts:

Araujo, Mauricio Boris Andres

Atkins, David B.

Baird, Callie Lynn

Ball-Reed, Patrice Munzel

Bourgeois, Yolande M.

Bowden, Darron Edward

Calabrese, Anthony John

Carr, John Thomas

Ceko, Theresa Christine

Chiampas, Peggy

Clarke, Robert Gerard

Cooper, Donna Lynn

Curcio, Lisa R.

Delort, Mathias William

Devane, Sheila King

Edidin, Lauren Gottainer

Epach, Thomas Edward, Jr.

Finley, Michael Jonathan

Gardner, Camela Annette

Gembala, Bettina Rosemary

Gillespie, Pamela Hughes

Goebel, Steven J.

Grazian, Lawrence Leonard

Greenblatt, Joel Leslie

Gubin, Deborah Jean

Hampton, Charisse LaShelle

Harris, Sheldon A.

Hughes, Bridget Jane

Jackson, William Richard

Joyce, Timothy Joseph

Katz, Stuart Paul

Kuriakos Ciesil, Maria

Lebovits, Yehuda P.

Logue, Patricia Marian

Luque-Rosales, Mercedes

Mandeltort, Ellen Beth

Marsalek, Diann Karen

Martinez, Maritza

Mills, Martha A.

Moltz, Martin Paul

Murray, Leonard

Panarese, Joseph D.

Panozzo, Kathleen Ann

Petrone, Angela Munari

Prince, Jesse Lee

Quinn, Marguerite Anne

Reynolds, Jeanne Marie

Ruiz, Robert J.

Salita, Susan Carol

Schleifer, Andrea M.

Schuster, Naomi Hornick

Skryd, David A.

Smith, Eugene Marlon

Stephenson, Domenica A.

Storcel, Susan Marie

Swanson, Alfred Melvin, Jr.

Trew, Mary Susan

Valderrama, Franklin Ulyses

Walker, Debra B.

Walsh, Neera Lall

Wilson-Freelon, Sheila Mae

Zenoff, Alan H.

The Nominating Committee had established receptions for the candidates to meet the circuit judges to minimize the disruption of court proceedings caused by the unscheduled visits of candidates to judges.

The receptions will be held as follows:

Wednesday, February 7, 2007, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Richard J. Daley Center

Jury Assembly Room, 17^th floor

50 West Washington Street

Chicago, Illinois

Thursday, February 8, 2007, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cook County Juvenile Court Center

The Atrium, 2^nd floor

1100 South Hamilton Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Criminal Court Administration Building

Jury Assembly Room

2650 South California Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

###

Chief Judge Evans announces dates for Annual Black History Month Courthouse Tours

RMarasso — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Black History Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will be offered on Tuesday, February 20, 2007, through Friday, February 23, 2007, and the following week from Monday, February 26, 2007, through Wednesday, February 28, 2007.

"I thank the court’s tour co-sponsors, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., the Cook County Bar Association, and the Illinois Judicial Council, for their support for this highly popular event commemorating Black History Month," said Chief Judge Evans.

The tours offer a first-hand view of the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, a meeting with a judge of the Circuit Court for an informal presentation, and an opportunity to meet with bar association representatives. Tour participants also receive a copy of the court's information guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services.

Individuals or groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Black History Month Courthouse Tours may contact Melanie Wheeler, the court’s African American community liaison, at 312.603.3587, or the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312.603.1927, on or before Thursday, February 15, 2007. Tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side of the building.

For more information about courthouse tours and other programs and services of the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.

Circuit Court approves distribution of close to $5 million in cy pres awards

RMarasso — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

At a court hearing today, Chancery Division Judge Bernetta D. Bush approved the distribution of $4.9 million in cy pres awards to a diverse group of ten public service organizations as part of the settlement terms of the class action lawsuit filed in 2004 by advertisers against the Chicago Sun-Times for inflating circulation figures.

The cy pres awards in In re Chicago Sun-Times Circulation Litigation, 04 CH 9757 were recognized at a informal gathering attended by Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, Chancery Division Presiding Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird, Judge Bush, and attorneys for the parties. Also present were Chicago Sun-Times publisher John Cruickshank, the newspaper’s editor Michael Cooke, and representatives of the organizations that received the awards.

Cy pres awards are derived from unclaimed settlement funds in class action lawsuits. Under the cy pres doctrine, courts have broad discretionary power to use such funds to assist legal aid and other public interest programs as the next best use of the money when, for a variety of reasons, funds can no longer be distributed to class members.

According the order signed today by Judge Bush, the ten organizations will use the money to pay for programs that will increase the availability of legal aid services, create literacy programs for disadvantaged youth, and fund medical research.

The total settlement in the Chicago Sun-Times lawsuit, approved by Judge Bush on January 20, 2006, was $32 million, comprising $24.5 million in cash and $7.3 million in other advertising benefits, including free, expanded or discounted advertising. Of the $5.7 million in cash that remains undistributed to class members, $4.9 will be used to benefit 10 well-established legal aid and public interest organizations; the remaining funds are earmarked to pay for any outstanding claims that may arise.

In explaining her approval of the awards to the ten groups, Judge Bush said, "This settlement presented a tremendous opportunity to reach our underserved populations with badly needed legal assistance and educational resources. The settlement terms also provide for long term oversight to ensure the continued effectiveness of each program receiving funds."

Chief Judge Evans said he was gratified and excited by the diversity of the organizations that were selected. "By targeting a wide range of service organizations to receive the cy pres funding, a broad spectrum of citizens in Cook County will stand to benefit," Chief Judge Evans said.

The following organizations will receive funds as indicated:

The Chicago Bar Foundation, $2 million

The Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Lend-a-Hand Program, $2 million

The Medical Research Institute of Children’s Memorial Hospital, $250,000

DePaul University College of Law Center for Public Interest Law, $100,000

Loyola University Chicago Civitas ChildLaw Center, $100,000

Children’s Memorial Hospital/Chicago Public Schools Partnership, $100,000

Chicago Communities in Schools, $100,000

Cook County Bar Association Foundation, $50,000

Trinity United Church of Christ Legal Clinic/Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation Legal Clinic, $50,000

Teach for America, $50,000

Chief Judge Evans announces one day closing of Bridgeview courthouse

RMarasso — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Fifth Municipal District courthouse in southwest suburban Bridgeview will be closed today, Tuesday, October 3, 2006, due to a partial loss of electricity and area road closures caused by last night’s thunderstorms.

The courthouse, located at 10220 South 76^th Avenue, is expected to reopen tomorrow.

Chief Judge Evans said that all civil and criminal court calls in the Bridgeview courthouse are canceled. However, the 9 a.m. bond hearing call in Room 103 will be held between 10 a.m. and noon today for any individuals in police custody who were arrested yesterday. Private attorneys, assistant state’s attorneys, assistant public defenders and necessary court personnel will be allowed into the courthouse for the bond hearing call. Civilian spectators, however, will not be allowed into the courthouse for the bond hearing call.

Civil cases that were scheduled to appear today in Bridgeview will be heard tomorrow, Wednesday, October 4, 2006, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today.

All traffic and misdemeanor cases of individuals on bond that were scheduled to appear today are continued to Thursday, November 9, 2006, at the same time and in the same courtroom as had been scheduled for today. Felony cases of individuals on bond are continued to Thursday, October 12, 2006, also at their previously scheduled time and location.

All traffic and misdemeanor cases where the defendant is in custody are continued to tomorrow, October 4, 2006, at their previously scheduled time and location. All felony cases where the defendant is in custody that were scheduled for today are continued as follows:

Courtroom 101: continued to Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Courtroom 110: continued to Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Courtroom 104: continued to Thursday, October 5, 2006

Courtroom 107: continued to Thursday, October 5, 2006

Courtroom 108: continued to Friday, October 6, 2006

Courtroom 109: continued to Friday, October 6, 2006

Chief Judge Evans announces Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour

RMarasso — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Circuit Court of Cook County Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour will take place on Friday, October 27, 2006, in the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

The tour offers the public a sense of day-to-day operations in one of the nation’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, an informal presentation by a Circuit Court judge, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives. Tour participants receive the Circuit Court of Cook County Informational Guide which contains an overview of the court, a directory of court and county services, and background of the trial process.

The Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour is part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series, which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month, Puerto Rican Heritage Day and Women’s History Month. The tours have been attended by thousands of Cook County residents.

Individuals or groups planning to attend the Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour may contact Milissa Pacelli, of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office, at 312-603-1927 on or before Tuesday, October 24, 2006. The tour is limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. The tour will depart at 10 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph Street and Clark Street side of the building.

For more information about other courthouse tours and general information on the Circuit Court of Cook County, visit www.cookcountycourt.org.