News Room

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.

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 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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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.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that he has received applications from 11 persons seeking his consideration for appointment to the vacancy in District Number Two on the Cook County Board of Review.

To ensure an open and transparent appointment process, Chief Judge Evans required anyone interested in the position to complete and file a formal application with his office. The applications of the 11 candidates may be viewed at www.cookcountycourt.org.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that persons seeking appointment to the vacancy in the office of commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review from District Number 2 will need to submit a formal application to him to be considered for the position.

The Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County is required by state law to fill Board of Review vacancies. Property Tax Code, 35 ILCS 200/5-5. The office became officially vacant when former Commissioner Joseph Berrios became Cook County Assessor on December 6, 2010.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he is establishing the Circuit Court of Cook County Black Line Trial Call Study Committee and that he has asked Judge Lynn Egan, a veteran trial judge assigned to the Law Division and attorney Larry Rogers Sr., Power Rogers and Smith PC, to serve as the committees co-chairs.

The committee will conduct a thorough evaluation of the practices and policies of the Black Line Trial Call and make recommendations to the Chief Judge.

As he prepares to be sworn in for his fourth term as Chief Judge on Monday, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced major changes in the Circuit Court that include the appointment of new Presiding Judges and Supervising Judges in almost half of the court's divisions and districts and the creation of a new division dedicated to elder law matters, the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Violence Division Presiding Judge Grace G. Dickler announced that the Domestic Violence Division has begun its critical expansion from Chicago to the suburbs of Cook County with the addition of courtrooms in the two courthouses that serve the court's Fourth Municipal District and Fifth Municipal District.

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 Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. 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 announced his administration plans to expand the use of specialty courts to rehabilitate nonviolent offenders and that he has appointed retired Associate Judge Lawrence P. Fox to lead the effort.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that he has asked a consortium of minority bar organizations to join the court’s In Court Lawyer Referral Program, a decades-old court-based program that provides low-cost legal representation to qualifying defendants.

Beginning in July 2011, the consortium will alternate on a monthly basis with the Chicago Bar Association in supplying attorneys at Circuit Court of Cook County court locations where the CBA is currently participating in the In Court Referral Program.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that two (2) branch courtrooms in the First Municipal District (Chicago) that are located in the Chicago Police Department’s Harrison District facility were temporarily closed today after the Chicago Fire Department evacuated the facility because of noxious fumes.

The Harrison District facility is located at 3151 West Harrison Street. Branch 43, which hears misdemeanors and ordinance violations, and Branch 44, which hears felony preliminary hearings, are located in the facility.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that he will reassign four judges whose judicial conduct has been the subject of recent publicized reports and arrange for them to receive mentoring from experienced judges. He also announced he has appointed two new supervising judges to provide improved management and oversight of the Criminal Branch Courts of the First Municipal District (Chicago), where three of the four judges had been serving.

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 at 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the launch of the Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program, which will provide free housing counseling and legal services to Cook County homeowners and families in foreclosure. The program is aimed at helping homeowners resolve their mortgage cases in the most timely and respectful manner possible.

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 26, 2010. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.