News Room

On Friday, May 9, 2008, the Tinley Park Police Department arrested Judge Sheila McGinnis and charged her with the following offenses: driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to provide proof of valid insurance.

Today, I have issued an order assigning Judge Sheila McGinnis to restricted duties in the Office of First Municipal District Presiding Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., where she will perform administrative duties only, subject to further order of the court. The order is effective immediately.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he has appointed Circuit Judge David P. Sterba as Acting Presiding Judge of the court’s Fifth Municipal District located in southwest suburban Bridgeview, replacing Fifth Municipal District Presiding Judge Thomas F. Carmody, Jr. who died suddenly on Sunday. The appointment of Judge Sterba is effective immediately.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit of Cook County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2008. Co-sponsoring the tour is 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 issued the following statement:

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Friday, March 28, 2008. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Black History Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, through Friday, February 22, 2008, and the following week from Monday, February 25, 2008, through Wednesday, February 27, 2008.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, November 14, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Friday, October 26, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Friday, October 19, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

Pursuant to secret ballots cast by 251 circuit judges eligible to vote, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans was re-elected by a landslide to his third consecutive term, yesterday, September 11, 2007. Evans, 64, was unopposed.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in south suburban Markham will remain closed today, Monday, August 27, 2007, except for a bond call for defendants in police custody who have not yet had an initial court appearance for the setting of bail.

The courthouse had been closed on Friday, August 24, due to a loss of electrical power and communications caused by inclement weather.

The Sixth Municipal District courthouse is located at 16501 South Kedzie Parkway in Markham.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Thursday, September 27, 2007, and Friday, September 28, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced all civil and criminal cases that were cancelled for today, August 27, 2007, due to the closing of the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse, 16501 South Kedzie Parkway, Markham, Illinois, have been rescheduled by order of court to new dates. The times and courtrooms for all continued appearances will remain the same as had been previously scheduled.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Third Municipal District courthouse in north suburban Rolling Meadows and the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in south suburban Markham will be closed today, Friday, August 24, 2007, due to a loss of power and communications caused by last night’s inclement weather.

The Third Municipal District courthouse is located at 2121 Euclid, Rolling Meadows; the Sixth Municipal District courthouse is located at 16501 South Kedzie Parkway in Markham.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Relations Division Presiding Judge Moshe Jacobius announced the opening today of a help desk in the court’s Domestic Relations Division where litigants unable to afford an attorney can receive free legal advice for their child support enforcement and paternity cases, including those filed through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced the individual and team winners of the 2007 City Mock Trials  Competition, which drew 560 students from 28 Chicago public schools. In its 24^th year, the competition is sponsored by the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education which is made of the Circuit Court, the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, The Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Public Schools.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Criminal Division Presiding Judge Paul P. Biebel, Jr. have announced that the Circuit Court will host a graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. at the Criminal Court Administration Building, 2650 S. California Avenue, 3^rd Floor, for a group of felony probationers who have completed R.A.P. (Rehabilitation Alternative Probation), the Criminal Division's Drug Treatment Court Program.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, June 13, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced that 149 associate judges have filed requests for reappointment when their terms expire June 30, 2007, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 39 (a).

Associate judges seeking retention were required to file requests for reappointment with Chief Judge Evans between January 1, 2007, and April 2, 2007. The Supreme Court later extended the request for reappointment deadline to April 30, 2007, to allow 31 associate judges to file their requests for reappointment following their oath of office on April 11, 2007.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and First Municipal District Presiding Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. today announced that beginning May 2, 2007, pro se tenants and landlords in eviction cases will be able to watch a DVD in a courtroom of the Richard J. Daley Center to learn how to proceed when they go to court.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit of Cook County Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, will take place on Wednesday, May 23, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is 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.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Circuit Court of Cook County Annual Women’s History Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Monday, March 27, 2007. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

The ten-member Nominating Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County announced today the names of the 62 candidates who will appear on the ballot from which the circuit judges will select the 31 new associate judges. The Nominating Committee comprises the following individuals:

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Black History Month Courthouse Tours of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will be offered on Tuesday, February 20, 2007, through Friday, February 23, 2007, and the following week from Monday, February 26, 2007, through Wednesday, February 28, 2007.

At a court hearing today, Chancery Division Judge Bernetta D. Bush approved the distribution of $4.9 million in cy pres awards to a diverse group of ten public service organizations as part of the settlement terms of the class action lawsuit filed in 2004 by advertisers against the Chicago Sun-Times for inflating circulation figures.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Fifth Municipal District courthouse in southwest suburban Bridgeview will be closed today, Tuesday, October 3, 2006, due to a partial loss of electricity and area road closures caused by last night’s thunderstorms.

The courthouse, located at 10220 South 76^th Avenue, is expected to reopen tomorrow.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Circuit Court of Cook County Polish Heritage Month Courthouse Tour will take place on Friday, October 27, 2006, in the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Advocates Society The Association of Polish-American Attorneys.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Circuit Court of Cook County Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour will take place on Wednesday, October 11, 2006, in the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Co-sponsoring the tour are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours will take place on Wednesday, October 4, 2006, and Friday, October 6, 2006, in the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Co-sponsoring the tours are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the appointment of Judge Thomas F. Carmody, Jr. as Presiding Judge of the court’s Fifth Municipal District, effective today, August 1, 2006.

A 14-year veteran of the bench who has served his entire judicial career assigned to the Fifth Municipal District courthouse in Bridgeview, Judge Carmody, 54, succeeds Judge Anthony S. Montelione, who retired July 31, 2006.