Announcement, Press Release |
CHICAGO — Clinton York came to Veterans Treatment Court with a simple goal.
“I came to Veterans Court with one simple goal: please let this be the last chapter in my legal story,” York wrote. “What I got instead was personal growth, accountability, humility… and way more self-reflection than I ordered.”
York, an Army veteran who had completed a sentence with the Illinois Department of Corrections and finished his parole, found himself back in the Cook County court system. He was angry, uncertain, and, by his own account, simply looking for a way out.
What he found instead was Veterans Treatment Court.
York is one of the graduates completing the Veterans Treatment Court program Tuesday. The ceremony, presided over by the Hon. Jill Cerone-Marisie, is among more than a dozen Problem-Solving Court commencement ceremonies scheduled across the Circuit this spring.
“We are proud of every one of our graduates for the hard work and courage it takes to complete these programs,” said Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II. “Problem-Solving Courts are not just about resolving cases — they are about giving people a real second chance. Clinton’s words capture exactly what this work is about: accountability, community, and the belief that change is possible.”
York’s essay, submitted as part of his graduation, describes a journey that moved well beyond his original ambitions.
“Veterans Court requires accountability. Real accountability. The kind where you don’t get to explain things away or point fingers,” he wrote. “What surprised me most is that everyone involved genuinely wants us to succeed. The entire staff — and yes, even the State’s Attorney — roots for us.”
York said the program reshaped a principle he had long lived by.
“I used to live by the phrase, ‘If it is to be, it’s up to me,’” he wrote. “Veterans Court taught me a better one: ‘If it is to be, it’s up to WE.’”
Problem-Solving Courts combine intensive judicial supervision, rigorously monitored rehabilitation services, and a team approach to help adults with substance use and mental health disorders avoid becoming repeat offenders. There are 20 such courts in Cook County, including Veterans Treatment, Mental Health, and Drug Treatment courts.
Participants plead guilty to felony charges and are sentenced to a two-year, intensive probation that includes behavioral health treatment and frequent drug testing. Upon successful completion of all requirements, criminal convictions may be vacated and charges can be expunged.
Each court employs a team consisting of judges, assistant state’s attorneys, assistant public defenders, probation officers, clinical case managers, coordinators, members of law enforcement, and peer mentors who collaborate to provide participants an opportunity to address their behavioral health issues and make lasting life changes.
This year’s ceremonies take on additional meaning as they fall during National Treatment Court Month, observed each May. Coordinated nationally by All Rise — the leading membership and advocacy organization for justice system innovation — National Treatment Court Month is an annual opportunity for courts across the country to share their success, educate the public, and engage elected officials on the power of treatment-based alternatives to incarceration.
Cook County’s 20 Problem-Solving Courts represent one of the largest treatment court networks in the nation, serving adults with substance use and mental health disorders across six municipal districts.
At the May 21 RAP/WRAP Drug Treatment Court ceremony, the Hon. Charles P. Burns will present the inaugural Lawrence P. Fox Distinguished Service Award to the family of the late Judge Lawrence P. Fox, who passed away on March 11, 2026, after 25 years on the Cook County bench.
Judge Fox was a pioneering force in the development of Cook County’s problem-solving court system. He founded the Rehabilitation Alternative Probation (RAP) Program — the predecessor to the RAP/WRAP Drug Treatment Court that bears his legacy today — which offered treatment-based accountability and recovery as an alternative to incarceration. His vision helped lay the groundwork for all 20 drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts now operating circuit-wide.
“Judge Fox believed that courts could do more than adjudicate — they could heal,” said Chief Judge Beach. “The RAP Program he founded is a direct ancestor of the courts we celebrate today. We are honored to name this award after him and to recognize his family, whose support made his life’s work possible.”
The Lawrence P. Fox Distinguished Service Award will recognize individuals whose contributions have meaningfully advanced the mission of Problem-Solving Courts in Cook County. Memorial contributions in Judge Fox’s name may be directed to The Way Back Inn, 104 Oak St., Maywood, IL 60153.
UPCOMING COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES — SPRING 2026
The following ceremonies are scheduled at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2650 S. California Ave., Chicago:
- Drug–RAP/WRAP Court, presided over by the Hon. Charles P. Burns, Courtroom 402, May 21, 2026 at 1 p.m. — 11 graduates.
The following ceremony will be held at the Skokie Courthouse, Second Municipal District, 5600 Old Orchard Rd.:
- Drug Treatment Court, presided over by the Hon. Lorraine Murphy, Room 207, September 2, 2026 at 12 p.m. — number of graduates to be determined.
The following ceremonies will be held at the Bridgeview Courthouse, Fifth Municipal District:
- Drug Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Treatment Court, presided over by the Hon. Kathaleen Lanahan, Courtroom 108, July 13, 2026 at 11 a.m. — 7, 2, and 1 graduates respectively.
The following ceremonies will be held at the Markham Courthouse, Sixth Municipal District, 16501 Kedzie Ave.:
- Drug Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Treatment Court, presided over by the Hon. Daniel Maloney, Courtroom 203, June 2, 2026 at 2 p.m. (2nd Floor Jury Room) — 2 graduates (Drug Treatment Court); number of Mental Health and Veterans Treatment Court graduates to be determined.
The public is welcome to attend all graduation ceremonies. Media should note that not all graduates have agreed to be filmed or photographed. Please consult with court communications personnel at each event to confirm which participants have given consent.
Media Contact: ocj.press@cookcountyil.gov
(312) 603-5414
Follow the court on:
X @CookCntyCourt
Facebook @Circuit Court of Cook County