News Room

Due to the replacement of existing ComEd power supply equipment serving the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, the courthouse will be closed all day this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16. The administration building will be open during this period. Because of this closure, the Pretrial Division (central bond court) will conduct all bail hearings on Zoom on the weekend of October 15 and 16. For the court hearings normally conducted in Courtrooms 100 and 102, attorneys and court staff will log in by Zoom.

The North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court will hold a graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 13, for 80 graduates – the largest graduation in the court’s five-year history. 

The ceremony will be held at UCAN Chicago, 3605 W. Fillmore Ave. Featured speakers include the Hon. Patricia Spratt, the presiding judge of the court, and Rayshawn Fields, a graduate who has composed a rap song about his experience. 

The Hon. Rena Marie Van Tine has been named Acting Presiding Judge of the County Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.

The Hon. Regina Scannicchio has been named Acting Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.

Judge Scannicchio was first appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2011, after 23 years as a private domestic relations attorney. She was elected in 2012 and retained in 2018. After a year in traffic court, she became a judge in the Domestic Relations Division in 2012.

On September 21, 2022, the Chicago Police Department filed a complaint against Circuit Judge Carl B. Boyd, alleging that, on September 20, Judge Boyd committed the offense of domestic battery, in violation of 720 ILCS 5/12-3.2(a)(l), a Class A misdemeanor. 

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans was elected today to an eighth term as chief judge by an overwhelming majority of circuit judges voting. His new three-year term will begin December 5, 2022.

Earlier today, the Office of the Chief Judge (OCJ) was notified by Google that the OCJ’s YouTube accounts, used to provide public access to court proceedings, will be restored after being temporarily disabled last week.

Last Friday, Google disabled the accounts due to unspecified violations of unspecified YouTube Community Guidelines. The Office of the Chief Judge appealed. Earlier today, the OCJ received a notice from Google’s YouTube team confirming that the court’s channels do not violate the guidelines and acknowledging that “sometimes we make mistakes.”

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has established an implementation committee to work with the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) to implement recommendations of the Circuit Court of Cook County Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) designed to best help youth in detention.

These recommendations include:

Earlier today, the Office of the Chief Judge was notified by Google that the OCJ’s YouTube accounts, used to provide public access to court proceedings, had been disabled due to unspecified violations of unspecified YouTube Community Guidelines.

The OCJ is not aware of any particular instance that would have precipitated the action, but understands that court proceedings are sometimes graphic in nature and not suitable for all audiences.

Donald W. Russell, who has served as Jury Room Supervisor at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse for 15 years, has been appointed Acting Jury Administrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, effective September 1, 2022, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.

Russell has been an employee of the Office of the Chief Judge for almost 25 years, starting in 1998 with the Mandatory Arbitration Program. He joined Jury Administration in 2000, and was promoted to Jury Room Supervisor at the Criminal Courthouse in 2007. He will replace Anthony Barone, who is retiring at the end of August.

Circuit Court of Cook County judges have joined in a statewide initiative sponsored by the Illinois Conference of Chief Judges and the Illinois Judges Association to help local schools, students, and community organizations prepare for success in the 2022-23 academic year by collecting school supplies, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

The school supplies collected in the Circuit Court of Cook County will be donated to the young people who attend Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative High School, which serves the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court has developed a plan to improve court access to help
domestic violence victims, which will include an after-hours pilot program to start this September, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

The award-winning documentary, “Any Given Day,” which features the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Mental Health Court program, will air on PBS on Thursday, July 7, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

Public television’s WORLD Channel, which is carried by local PBS station WTTW-Channel 11, will air the documentary at 7 p.m. as part of the “America ReFramed” series. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County’s Restorative Justice Community Court in Englewood will hold its first graduation ceremony on Wednesday morning, honoring 29 graduates, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. The graduates successfully completed an intensive program focused on education, accountability, and job training designed to address nonviolent crime and prevent recidivism. 

Eight participants in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s mental health court program and two participants in the drug court program will graduate in a joint ceremony at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse this week, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

A recent claim that all those accused of violent crimes are “guilty” and should be in jail prior to trial is wrong on both the law and the facts, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said on Tuesday.

Judge Evans condemned the tragic wave of violent crime that has afflicted Chicago and other American cities so far this year. “Some of the victims have been successful young participants in my court programs and looked forward to full and meaningful lives before being shot and killed,” he said.

Six participants in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s nationally recognized drug court program will graduate in a ceremony at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Thursday, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has been ordered to enforce less than half as many evictions in recent months, compared to the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. County officials point to the decline as a reflection of the effectiveness of County legal aid efforts and rental assistance on behalf of both landlords and tenants.

Representatives of retail and other merchant associations expressed surprise and satisfaction at the high conviction rate for those charged with retail theft/smash and grab crimes in Cook County, following a meeting last month with Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

The Rehabilitative Alternative Probation and Women’s Rehabilitative Alternative Probation ((W)RAP) Drug Court Program has been named one of just 10 national mentor treatment courts by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the U.S. Department of Justice. The program will receive an award marking the distinction on May 19, 2022, at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building.

The mandate that all persons using Circuit Court of Cook County facilities must wear face coverings will remain in place until further notice, said Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

The decision was made in consultation with Dr. Rachel Rubin, M.D., senior medical officer and co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health. “She informed my staff that our local community transmission rate remains substantial, and strongly recommends we continue our mask mandate until levels reach moderate or low,” Judge Evans said.

Due to predictions of significant snowfall in Cook County, Chief Judge Timothy C.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today posted a notice of ten vacancies for the office of associate judge of the Cook County Circuit Court.

The Hon. Sophia H. Hall has been appointed interim acting presiding judge of the Chancery Division. Judge Hall fills the role left by the recent retirement of the Hon. Moshe Jacobius, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

 Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced today the retirement of the Hon. Moshe Jacobius after more than 30 years on the bench, including 11 years as presiding judge of the Chancery Division. 

“I wish Judge Jacobius well in his retirement,” said Judge Evans. “We will miss his keen intelligence, competence, kindness, steadiness, and always thoughtful approach to justice, and we applaud him for his many years of service to the citizens of Illinois.” 

The Executive Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County has determined that the Hon. Judge William B. Raines must receive sensitivity training and gender bias counseling following comments he made to courtroom personnel earlier this month. 

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans responded Tuesday to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s request for a moratorium on use of electronic monitoring for defendants accused of certain violent crimes by pointing out the national and state constitutional issues raised by imprisoning people before they are convicted of anything. The chief judge also noted multiple problems with the data the mayor provided to back up her request. 

The chief judge also pledged continued cooperation with the mayor and the police superintendent in the interests of promoting public safety. 

A new federal grant will boost three existing suburban court programs that help drug users. 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded $550,000 over four years to the Drug Treatment Courts in the Fourth Municipal District (Maywood), the Fifth Municipal District (Bridgeview) and Sixth Municipal District (Markham). The grant will pay for clinical case management for these three south suburban courts. 

The Hon. Ramon Ocasio has been named acting presiding judge of the Fourth Municipal District in Maywood, said Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Judge Ocasio to this new position of responsibility in our Fourth Municipal District, and I know he will strive for excellence, as he has done throughout his judicial career,” Judge Evans said.

The Executive Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County has determined that, on or about December 6, 2021, the Hon. Raúl Vega allegedly made a statement to another judge, which, if made, would likely be a violation of the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct.

At the Committee’s request, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, who convened the committee, has ordered that this matter be referred to the Judicial Inquiry Board.