2008 News Archive

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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 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.

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.