Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans spoke at a SEED Court graduation August 5 at the Criminal Courthouse.
SEED (Supporting Education and Employment Development) is a deferred prosecution program that serves young adults, aged 18-26, charged with gun offenses or with selling or intending to sell illegal drugs. Upon successful completion of the program, defendants are eligible to have their court and arrest records expunged.
The success of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Restorative Justice Community Courts (RJCC) for young adults is drawing attention from other states – including Illinois’ neighbor to the north.
Representatives from Dane County, including the Hon. Nia Trammell of the Dane County Circuit Court, observed the Avondale Restorative Justice Community Court on Friday to learn how it operates. Dane County, the second most-populous county in Wisconsin, intends to unveil a similar program this fall for young people ages 17-35.
Two adult drug treatment courts operating in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Criminal Division have been awarded Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) funding, totaling more than $1 million for the upcoming state fiscal year. These courts serve high-risk/high-need adults charged with a non-violent drug, theft, or property related felony offenses who are diagnosed with a severe substance use disorder by providing treatment and support to reduce recidivism.
The Circuit Court of Cook County Restorative Justice Community Court program has been recognized with a 2025 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The award honors innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.
The Restorative Justice Community Court was established by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans in 2017. Since that time, the courts have assisted more than 600 young adults, ages 18 -26, charged with non-violent felony or misdemeanor crimes, reintegrate into their communities.
During a recent visit to the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, staff gave the Hon. Michael Hood a tour of the organization’s Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) which, when deployed, provides health care to unhoused veterans by mental health clinicians, social workers and other health providers.
Judge Hood, who presides over the Veterans Treatment Courts in Skokie, said he immediately saw a benefit to having the MMU visit the Skokie Courthouse in the Second Municipal District.
CBS 2 Chicago's Shardaa Gray's report on the June 25, 2025 graduation of the Englewood Restorative Justice Community Court.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/englewood-restorative-justice-community-court-graduation-2025/
WGN's Bronagh Tumulty highlights the June 25, 2025 graduation of 22 participants in the Englewood Restorative Justice Community Court.
When Xavier Smith was arrested for driving a vehicle he alleges he didn’t know was stolen, it was just the latest life-altering event to occur to the 26-year-old. Despite a childhood spent in foster care and being an unhoused adult who recently experienced the violent shooting death of his infant daughter and her mother, he vows this most recent setback has actually put him on the right track for the first time.
It’s graduation season, and many Chicago-area families are celebrating their children’s graduation from colleges and universities. Unfortunately, some young people involved in the criminal justice system have never considered college for themselves and see a limited future.
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin profiles newly appointed Acting Presiding Judge of the Law Division Thomas V. Lyons.
Chief Judge Evans is pleased to announce the following judicial assignments.
The Hon. Thomas V. Lyons, II, has been appointed Acting Presiding Judge of the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, effective immediately.
Judge Lyons was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2008, and was elected to that position in 2010. Judge Lyons began his judicial career in Traffic Court, and then as a jury trial judge in the First Municipal District. Since 2014, Judge Lyons has served as a trial judge in the Law Division.
Nine individuals at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse will get a new beginning on Thursday afternoon when they graduate from the (W)RAP Drug Court program.
For Juanez Wakefield, graduation means victory over four decades of drug use and freedom from a drug delivery charge.
“I decided it was time to stop messing with my life,” said Wakefield, 53, who started using drugs at 13 and is now almost two years sober. She said her life is “awesome,” with a union job at Jewel and a studio apartment in Lincoln Park.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today posted a vacancy notice for the office of associate judge of the Cook County Circuit Court.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans penned a special editorial in today's Chicago Law Bulletin, to commemorate Law Day.
https://www.lawyerport.com/chicagolawbulletin/search-for-new-solutions-be-creative-20250428
Rebecca Acton was charged with burglary in 2009 and got probation. But she kept getting into trouble – failing to check in with her probation officer and catching new felony charges as she struggled with heroin addiction.
Though none of the new charges stuck, Acton feared being sent to jail for violating probation. She went on the run, leaving the northern suburbs and moving to Wisconsin. Acton got off drugs. Then she wanted to go into motivational speaking and get a clean slate, which meant turning herself in.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans welcomed a cohort of county leaders from across the country, Monday, for a National Association of Counties (NACo) peer exchange visit to Cook County. The visit marks the third and final in-person meeting for the CORE Justice Network, a program focused on empowering county leaders to identify and eliminate disparities in the local justice system.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans joined Fox 32's Paris Schutz to discuss the transition of the county's electronic monitoring program to the Office of the Chief Judge. The discussion begins at the 20:48 mark.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans discusses the strengths of the Adult Probation Department's Electronic Monitoring Program, which transitioned on April 1, with Brandis Friedman, of WTTW News.
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, along with other judges and staff at the Criminal Courthouse, hosted the United Kingdom’s Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC on Tuesday to share details regarding the Court’s innovative Problem-Solving Courts and Restorative Justice programs.
Both of these court programs help to divert those convicted of non-violent felonies into programs that give participants a second chance and help them to work on the problems that led them into the criminal justice system.
Starting on Tuesday, April 1, the Cook County Sheriff will stop accepting new Electronic Monitoring (“EM”) participants and all new court orders to EM will be sent to the Adult Probation Department Pretrial Services (“APD”). Operating under the Office of the Chief Judge (“OCJ”), APD has a long history running its EM program and will continue to operate the program based on the procedures it has developed over the past fourteen years.
In advance of this transition, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans issued the following statement:
University of Illinois Chicago Law School Professors Michael P. Seng, Stephen Schlegel and student Christine Drew penned a guest editorial in Thursday's Chicago Sun-Times, citing the importance or resolving nonviolent gun cases in our Restorative Justice Community Courts.
Restorative Justice Practitioner Audrey Dunford was quoted in this New York Times article regarding her role in Stick Talk.
The Chicago Tribune shares this exclusive story about our Family Navigators, who assist family members with everything they need to know about our court process and guiding their family members and loved ones through it.
Judge Patricia Spratt joins WGN Radio's Karen Conti to discuss the WTTW documentary "Firsthand: Peacekeepers!" Spratt, who presides over the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court, is featured in the documentary. Judge Spratt details the process and the criteria for those participating in the program.
How restorative justice is changing young people’s lives | WGN Radio 720 - Chicago's Very Own
Judge Patricia Spratt spends most of her week in a traditional courtroom in Maywood. But every Thursday, she turns her attention to healing and reconciliation in North Lawndale, where she leads the neighborhood’s Restorative Justice Community Court. Her role is to transform young lives through restorative justice. The goal is to heal victims, the community, and the offenders themselves.
WTTW Documentaries highlights her work in this installment of "Firsthand Peacekeepers."
The Hon. Patricia Spratt, who presides over the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court, joined WTTW's Chicago Tonight to discuss the importance of the RJCC in the community. Full episode linked below.
Chicago Tonight | Feb. 17, 2025 - Full Show | Season 2025 | PBS
CBS attended some of the Valentine's Day weddings conducted by Cook County judges on Friday.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced a pilot project that will combine cases involving mental health treatment and guardianship before a single judge, thus providing more clarity and support for respondents and their families.
The New York Times included the Circuit Court of Cook County and the weddings our judges performed on Valentine's Day, in their Valentine's Day coverage.
‘Joyful Chaos’: Couples Flock to Courthouses to Wed on Valentine’s Day - The New York Times
