News Room

Note: This is an update to a previous press release

Highly offensive documents, falsely claiming to be orders from various current or retired Circuit Court of Cook County judges, are being circulated by some person or group, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said on Wednesday. The documents are forgeries, and the Office of the Chief Judge finds the content appalling. The documents appear to be intended as a means of intimidating the recipients and others.

The documents use the names of several sitting and retired judges out of the Skokie Courthouse.

Highly offensive documents, falsely claiming to be orders from various current or retired Circuit Court of Cook County judges, are being circulated by some person or group, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said on Wednesday. The documents are forgeries, and the Office of the Chief Judge finds the content appalling. The documents appear to be intended as a means of intimidating the recipients and others. 

The Office of the Chief Judge is fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities to discover who is circulating these fraudulent and disturbing documents.

In order to better serve victims of domestic violence, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has issued an order allowing all proceedings to go forward by videoconference or teleconference, except for contested hearings. 

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and the Nominating Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County today announced the names of the 44 candidates selected to appear on the ballot from which circuit judges will vote to fill 22 associate judge vacancies.

Responding to the need to protect the health and safety of victims of domestic violence, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans on Monday announced efforts by the Circuit Court of Cook County to enable 24-hour, 7-day-a-week access for “emergency petitions.” 

The Circuit Court of Cook County is making dozens of courtrooms available for jury and bench trials, which will speed up resolution of cases that have been delayed due to pandemic-related restrictions, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced today. The expanded reopening of the criminal courts has been made possible by new health guidance regarding the pandemic. 

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today praised the signing of SB 64, a bill designed to promote restorative justice practices, which offer an alternative to incarceration and can help break the cycle of criminal behavior. 

“I thank the governor and our lawmakers in Springfield for this legislation, which promotes something that we know can help break the cycle of criminal behavior and help people become productive members of their communities,” said Judge Evans, who was present for the signing. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the appointment of the Honorable Kerry M. Kennedy as the new acting presiding judge of the Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview. 

“Judge Kennedy has shown great dedication and knowledge in his years as a judge in the Fifth Municipal District, and I am confident that he will succeed in his new leadership role,” said Judge Evans.

In recent weeks, in response to tragic incidents of violence in Cook County, some public officials have criticized the courts, and, in particular, judicial decisions to impose electronic monitoring on some defendants rather than incarcerate them in Cook County Jail while they await trial.

The Circuit Court of Cook County will be closed on Friday to celebrate “Juneteenth,” which celebrates the emancipation of Black Americans from slavery.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans declared Juneteenth a court holiday on Jan. 15, 2021. It also has been declared a city and county-wide holiday, and on Wednesday, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker made Juneteenth a state holiday.

In order to respond to the rights of defendants covered by the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions and the Illinois Speedy Trial Act, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced Monday that he had formed a committee of criminal justice stakeholders and other related groups to determine how to safely and expeditiously accelerate the reopening of criminal courts to in-person proceedings, including increasing the capacity for bench and jury trials. 

The Cook County Circuit Court has expanded a mandatory arbitration program to include hundreds of personal injury cases, which is expected to cut both costs and delays, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced on Friday. 

“This will eliminate delays and aid in the prompt administration of justice in these cases, allowing them to be disposed of more efficiently while reducing costs for litigants,” said Judge Evans. “Disposing of cases through this program will also free up valuable court time for more complex matters.” 

The Hon. Robert Balanoff, Acting Presiding Judge of the Child Protection Division, announced on Thursday an effort to increase the number of lawyers handling appeals from cases heard in the Child Protection Division. 

Marriage and civil union ceremonies at Cook County’s downtown Marriage and Civil Union Court (Marriage Court) may be performed via Zoom videoconference, as well as in person, starting next week, according to a court order issued on Friday.

Recent suggestions that the criminal courts have not held trials, or have been otherwise inactive, during the past 13 months of the pandemic are based on misinformation.

The Cook County Circuit Court has held hundreds of bench trials during the pandemic.  Criminal jury trials resumed last month, after numerous precautions and preparations by the Office of the Chief Judge to ensure the safety of both jurors and court personnel.

In order to ensure best practices for the treatment of juveniles confined at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has established a blue ribbon committee of experts to examine current JTDC procedures and outcomes, especially as they relate to room confinement.

The Cook County Circuit Court did not let a global pandemic shut down the fair and efficient administration of justice in the Chicago area. Instead, Cook County judges, working with public and private sector attorneys, clerks and other court personnel, have employed technology, innovation, and a spirit of cooperation to meet the coronavirus challenge, resulting in 1,474,274 hours of Zoom court sessions with more than 1.8 million participants between March 17, 2020 and March 11, 2021 in all divisions.

The Cook County Circuit Court will resume jury trials, with multiple precautions taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, starting in late March, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said on Wednesday.

Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today praised Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing into law a criminal justice reform measure that will eliminate cash bail, because it is consistent with the U.S. Constitution’s presumption of innocence before trial.

“It took courage for Gov. Pritzker to sign this legislation, and it was absolutely the right thing to do,” Judge Evans said. “Money should not determine who should be released on pretrial. The law is that there is a presumption of innocence when someone is charged.”

To limit the number of people traveling to and from court due to adverse weather conditions for our area, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that the Circuit Court of Cook County will be open but for videoconference and teleconference proceedings only on Tuesday, February 16. Please do not come to court facilities in person.

All court proceedings will be conducted by videoconference or teleconference. No in-person hearings will be held, so litigants should not come to court facilities. Traffic court proceedings also will be entirely held by videoconference or teleconference.

To limit the number of people traveling to and from court due to adverse weather conditions for our area, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced today that the Circuit Court of Cook County will be open for videoconference and teleconference proceedings only on Tuesday, February 16. Please do not come to court facilities in person.

Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans expressed approval and support today for a newly-passed criminal justice bill that will eliminate cash bail, because it is consistent with the U.S. Constitution’s presumption of innocence before trial.  

“We have been supporting the end of money bail for a long time,” Judge Evans said. “Money was never a good gauge as to who should be released on pretrial. The law is that there is a presumption of innocence when someone is charged.” 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the appointments of three new acting presiding judges to head the Criminal, County and Traffic Divisions. 

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

Most courthouses in Cook County are now equipped with “Zoom Rooms,” with computers that allow litigants to safely monitor court proceedings, Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans said on Friday.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today appointed Honorable Robert Balanoff to serve as the Acting Presiding Judge of the court’s Child Protection Division. The appointment is effective Monday, December 7.

Judge Balanoff became a circuit judge in 2004, after 22 years in private practice. He has served in Child Protection since 2005. 

Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases across the state, Chief Judge Timothy C.

Since 2017, more than a hundred other young North Lawndale men and women facing nonviolent felony or misdemeanor charges have encountered a wholly different brand of justice at the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court, writes the Chicago Tribune editorial board. The Restorative Justice courts demonstrate the power of a second chance.

Follow the court on X @CookCntyCourt

A new Loyola University study finds that a bail reform order issued by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans in 2017 has saved Cook County residents from having to post more than $31 million in bail in just one six-month period and kept hundreds out of jail, while not contributing to an increase in crime. 

The following is a statement from Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans regarding appellate court decisions: