2026 News Archive

The Office of the Chief Judge is warning the public about a fraudulent “Illinois Circuit Court – Hearing Notice” that is circulating and falsely claims to require payment for unpaid parking charges.

This document is not legitimate and was not issued by the Circuit Court of Cook County.

The Circuit Court of Cook County today announced the appointment of Luis M. Gutierrez as court security services administrator. Gutierrez succeeds Jeffrey Pfotenhauer, who is retiring following distinguished service to the Court.

A search committee appointed by Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II has begun the process of identifying candidates for a new Director of Juvenile Services for the Circuit Court of Cook County.

CBS 2 Chicago's Sabrina Franza had the exclusive interview with Chief Judge Beach regarding the upcoming improvements to the Electronic Monitoring system. See her report here: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cook-county-chief-judge-charles-beach-changes-electronic-monitoring/

Judges from the Traffic Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County will participate in a Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, providing individuals with Cook County traffic cases an opportunity to address matters that may be preventing them from regaining driving privileges.

CBS 2's Sabrina Franza covered improvements made to the EM process. Here is her story: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cook-county-chief-judge-changes-electronic-monitoring-program/

Chicago Sun Times coverage of the Electronic Monitoring operational updates, posted by Violet Miller: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/01/28/cook-county-electronic-monitoring-beach

WTTW's Matt Masterson's coverage of the Electronic Monitoring operational updates: https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/28/cook-county-s-chief-judge-announces-new-revisions-electronic-monitoring-program

A search committee appointed by Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II has begun the process of identifying candidates for a new Director of Juvenile Services for the Cook County Circuit Court.

The Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County has implemented updated operational protocols governing Electronic Monitoring (EM) to ensure timely identification of violations, prompt judicial review and clear accountability across all involved agencies.