News Room

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans was joined today by Dr. Anthony L. Barbato, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loyola University Health System, for the official opening of the Loyola Children’s Center at Maywood in the Fourth Municipal District Courthouse in west suburban Maywood, Illinois. The Loyola Children’s Center is the first court-based program in the nation to offer medical and childlife programs for children and families attending court.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Puerto Rican Heritage Week Courthouse Tour will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 2002, at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Joining the Circuit Court of Cook County in cosponsoring the tour is the Puerto Rican Bar Association. 

Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has assigned Judge Francis X. Golniewicz to duties other than judicial duties in the office of First Municipal District Presiding Judge Jacqueline P. Cox. His decision to reassign Judge Golniewicz follows a meeting of the Circuit Court of Cook County Executive Committee convened today by Chief Judge Evans to discuss the complaint filed by the Judicial Inquiry Board against Judge Golniewicz on May 14, 2002. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County continued its prom season driving safety programs with the hosting of "Drive Wise…Stay Alive" Teen Symposium held on May 15, 2002, at Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois. The symposium was organized by the court's Community Safety Initiative and is designed to help teens make appropriate decisions when faced with the choice to drive when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Judge Ronald A. Himel was first elected a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1984, and has been assigned to the Criminal Division since 1985. In response to several publicized incidents involving Judge Himel’s courtroom conduct, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has asked a distinguished panel of mentors chaired by Justice Warren D. Wolfson of the First Appellate District Court of Illinois to provide input and guidance to Judge Himel on appropriate courtroom procedures. Judge Himel will begin a personal leave today.

More than 1,000 students from seventeen Chicago high schools will experience first hand the deadly effects of alcohol, speed, and poor judgment through the Circuit Court of Cook County's annual Smart Choices program to be held May 6 through May 10 , 2002, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Smart Choices is part the Circuit Court of Cook County's traffic safety education campaign called Drive Wise…Stay Alive.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tours will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2002, and Friday, May 31, 2002, at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Joining the Circuit Court of Cook County in cosponsoring the tours 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 

More than 500 students from Marion Catholic High School attended pre-prom driving safety programs sponsored by the Circuit Court of Cook County's Community Safety Initiative on April 29 and 30, 2002, at Marion Catholic High School in Chicago Heights. Entitled The Parent Connection, the programs were mandatory for students planning to attend their annual prom, their dates and their parents. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County began hosting its annual prom season driving safety programs with a Safe Driving Assembly held today at Lourdes High School, 4304 West 56th Street in Chicago. Approximately 100 Lourdes seniors attended the assembly designed to educate young drivers about the dangers of alcohol, speed and poor judgment. The event was presented through the court's Drive Wise, Stay Alive Community Safety Initiative. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County today presented the Drive Wise, Stay Alive Mature Driver Program to a group of senior citizens at the Maine Township General Offices. 

Rolling Meadows, IL (04-17-02) – The Circuit Court of Cook County began hosting its annual prom season driving safety programs with a daylong DUI Awareness Conference in the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Approximately 200 students representing twelve area schools attended the conference designed to educate students on the potential consequences of impaired and aggressive driving and other traffic related issues.

The Circuit Court of Cook County began hosting its annual prom season driving safety programs with the "Drive Wise…Stay Alive" Senior Symposium held on April 17, 2002, at Proviso East High School in Maywood. Approximately 450 seniors attended the symposium designed to help teens make appropriate decisions when faced with the choice to drive when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the Chicago Bar Association and the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening have advised him that they have opted to not conduct joint evaluations for the current associate judge selection process.

The Circuit Court of Cook County today presented the Drive Wise, Stay Alive Mature Driver Program to a group of seniors at the Central West Regional Center of Chicago's Department on Aging. 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today awarded the Circuit Court of Cook County a $232,034 grant to enhance available substance abuse treatment and related ancillary services for minors referred to juvenile court. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the appointment of Circuit Judge Edmund Ponce de Leon as Presiding Judge of the west suburban Fourth Municipal District effective immediately. Judge Ponce de Leon succeeds Judge Themis N. Karnezis who was assigned to the Appellate Court. Judge Ponce de Leon is the first Hispanic American appointed a presiding judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today released the names of 237 attorneys who have submitted applications to fill seven vacant associate judge positions in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

The Circuit Court of Cook County today presented the Drive Wise, Stay Alive Mature Driver Program to a group of seniors at North Stickney Township offices. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that the court has initiated a public awareness campaign involving more than 50 local churches to highlight the use of child safety seats. The campaign was launched Tuesday, February 12, 2002, at a free child safety seat check coordinated by the Illinois Department of Transportation at the Apostolic Church of God, located at 6320 S. Dorchester in Chicago's Woodlawn community. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Black History Month Courthouse Tours will be held on February 13, 14, and 15, 2002, at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Joining the Circuit Court of Cook County in cosponsoring the tours are the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., the Cook County Bar Association, and the Illinois Judicial Council. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced two new presiding judge appointments and a host of reassignments. Judge William D. Maddux, appointed Acting Presiding Judge of the Law Division shortly after the Chief Judge Evans's election in September 2001, has been appointed Presiding Judge of that division. Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird, a judge in the Chancery Division, has been appointed Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division, succeeding former Judge Albert Green who served as Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division until his retirement on October 31, 2001.

The following statement was issued by Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans: 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and County Division Presiding Judge Michael J. Murphy announced that today's adoption proceedings in the Daley Center will be held in support of the second annual National Adoption Saturday, November 17, 2001, a nation wide event in which 16 jurisdictions throughout the U.S. will expedite adoptions of hundreds of foster children with Saturday court sessions to help clear case backlogs. Last year's event finalized nearly 1,100 adoptions in the United States with more than 1,500 adoptions expected to be finalized this year. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Child Protection Division Presiding Judge Patricia Martin Bishop have announced the Child Protection Division and the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education will hold a presentation on education issues concerning abused and neglected court wards for officials of suburban public schools. The half-day presentation entitled Developing a Partnership for Children will be held Thursday, November 15, 2001, at Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the Circuit Court of Cook County Community Safety Initiative will host two community safety forums that will focus on traffic safety issues. The community safety forums will be held at Wright College, 4300 North Narragansett Avenue, Chicago, on Tuesday, November 13, 2001, and at the Apostolic Church of God, 6320 South Dorchester, Chicago, on Thursday, November 15, 2001. The forums will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Third Municipal District Presiding Judge Joseph J. Urso have announced court activities will resume tomorrow, November 1, 2001, in the Circuit Court of Cook County's Third Municipal District courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Court activities at that location had been canceled today due to the discovery of a powdery white substance within two washrooms in the court facility. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced Judge Albert Green, Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division, will retire effective Wednesday, October 31, 2001. Judge Green cited his desire to spend more time with his family while providing himself the best opportunity to fully recover from a number of recent surgeries as reasons for his decision to retire. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Sixth Municipal District Presiding Judge Ronald C. Riley have announced that the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council (IFVCC) of the Sixth Municipal District will host Prevention . . . A Coordinated Community Response Conference on Tuesday, October 16, 2001, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 18501 South Harlem Avenue, Tinley Park, Illinois.

Chief Judge Evans announces conference on family violence Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Fifth Municipal District Presiding Judge Anthony S. Montelione have announced that the Family Violence Prevention Coordinating Council of the Fifth Municipal District will host an Intervention and Prevention Conference on Monday, October 29, 2001, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Chicago Gaelic Park Banquet Hall, 6119 West 147th Street, Oak Forest, Illinois.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, recently elected Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of County, today announced several significant appointments effecting the Law Division of the Circuit Court. Chief Judge Evans expressed his desire to act quickly to ensure continued commitment to excellence and dedicated service in the Law Division. Chief Judge Evans has also decided to expand the number of judges assigned to the Commercial Calendar Section due to the heavy workload of the judges in that section.