News Room

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.

“Today, I learned that there will be an advisory committee instead to study gun court models.

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.

Bar associations participating in the Juvenile Mentoring Initiative include The Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, and the Hispanic Lawyers’ Association of Illinois.  

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.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he is forming a committee of judges to study and make recommendations on the Circuit Court’s New Judges’ Seminar program.

Members of the Committee on New Judges’ Seminar appointed thus far are:

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.

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).            

At a court proceeding known as a “case assignment” held at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building at 2600 South California in courtroom 101, Chief Judge Evans entered orders providing for the following:

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.

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 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.

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:

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 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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Statement by Chief Judge Timothy Evans:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.