State of Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County
CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS
Honorable Timothy C. Evans Chief Judge State of Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County
Timothy C. Evans 50 West Washington Street Chief Judge Suite 2600 Richard J. Daley Center Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 603-6000 Fax: (312) 603-5366 TTY (312) 603-6673
The purpose of this report is to increase public awareness of some of the innovative work and progressive changes that have taken place in our vast and complex court system due to the collective efforts of the judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
I thank all those judges and Office of the Chief Judge employees who strive every day to ensure fairness in every case that comes before our court.
The better informed we all are about our court system, the better the court can plan for the future to serve the people of Cook County.
Sincerely,
Timothy C. Evans Chief Judge Circuit Court of Cook County
Circuit Court of Cook County Highlights Honorable Timothy C. Evans Chief Judge
I. Circuit Court Administration Court Reorganization Improving Access to Justice Education Court Operations Official Court Reporters Grant Awards Technological Advances II. Circuit Court Innovations Pretrial Services New Restorative Justice Community Court New Domestic Violence Division New Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division Cameras in the Court Transparent Appointment Process III. Circuit Court Services for Litigants Elder Justice Center Court Resource Center for People Without Lawyers JusticeCorps Foreign Language Interpreters Public Information (Director of Communications) IV. Circuit Court Divisions and Districts Chancery, Mediation Programs Criminal Felony Case Flow Management Committee Cell Phone Ban Specialty Courts Domestic Relations Domestic Violence Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Juvenile Justice Probate Municipal Districts
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I. Circuit Court Administration
A. Court Reorganization
o Created an uncontested/default mortgage foreclosure calls pilot program with the Presiding Judges of the Chancery Division and the First Municipal District to address exploding mortgage foreclosure caseload. October 2002.
o Established the Domestic Violence Division dedicated exclusively to hearing domestic violence matters. The goal of the division is to help victims of domestic violence and to increase efforts to stop the illegal activities of abusers to ultimately end the cycle of violence in each case. January 2010.
o Established the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division dedicated to hearing certain civil actions and proceedings and certain criminal offenses involving elderly persons. September 2014.
o Established the Mortgage Foreclosure Mechanics Lien Section in the Chancery Division to address the avalanche of mortgage foreclosure filings. February 2005.
o Opened a fourth Chicago felony courtroom in the Fifth Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview to hear felony drug cases to relieve overcrowding in the Criminal Court Building in Chicago. June 2003.
o Redrew the boundaries of the Fifth Municipal District to transfer two municipalities to relieve overcrowding in the court’s adjacent Sixth Municipal District courthouse in Markham. June 2003.
B. Improving Access to Justice
o Entered General Administrative Order No. 2014-06, which permits the public present at court proceedings conducted in courtrooms of the Circuit Court of Cook County to take written notes while court is in session. 2006.
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o Launched “Going to Eviction Court,” a how-to video for eviction court litigants, shown twice daily in courtroom 1402 of the Daley Center. Developed in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) and the Housing Advisory Consortium, filmed and produced by Illinois Legal Aid and funded by United Way of Metropolitan Chicago through a Venture Grant to LCBH. April 2007.
o Expanded minority participation the In Court Lawyer Referral Program to include a consortium of minority bar organizations. The decades-old court-based program provides low-cost legal representation to qualifying defendants for certain case types on the day they appear in court. June 2010.
o Installed Language Line, an over-the-phone foreign language interpreter service in all bond hearing courtrooms and the pre- bond-interview room at the Cook County Department of Corrections. Language Lines phones are also available at all courthouse information desks, in all Children’s Advocacy Rooms, the Elder Justice Center, and the Court Resource Center. Provided free of charge to litigants. 2016.
C. Education
o Launched first of its kind additional training program for certified arbitrators with the Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District serving 3,000 arbitrators. June 2002.
o Established the Accessibility and Education Outreach Section of the Office of the Chief Judge to respond to requests for ADA accommodations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act for persons with disabilities participating in court proceedings. Also administers the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series and the annual Mock Trial competition in partnership with the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education. July 2015.
o Judicial training held on use of new risk assessment for bond court detainees, the PSA. November 2015, July 2016.
o Judicial training held on Implicit Bias by national expert Kimberly Papillon, J.D. July 2016.
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o Judicial presentations on cameras in court pilot program established by the Illinois Supreme Court and the Circuit Court of Cook County. 2015.
o Added Women’s History Month to the Courthouse Heritage Tours of the Daley Center as part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series which combines public education activities with national and local observances marking racial and ethnic diversity. March 2013.
o Expanded Black History Month Courthouse Tours from three days to a full week. January 2010.
o Completely overhauled of the court’s web site to make it more user friendly. August 2012.
D. Court Operations
o Moved bond call start times to later in the day to allow pretrial services officers more time for preparation of the pre-bond reports that assist judges in their bail-setting decisions. Pre-bond reports are objective assessments of the level of risk an alleged offender may present to public safety and whether the individual is likely to return to court for the next appearance. Compiled by the court’s pretrial services officers, the reports are based on interviews with alleged offenders shortly after their arrival in the Cook County Jail and information obtained from law enforcement data bases. Effective November 1, 2014 at Central Bond Court • Felony cases will be heard 1:30 PM seven days a week. • Misdemeanors will heard on weekends and holidays at 12:00 PM Effective March 3, 2015 at all Suburban Courthouses (Monday - Friday, except holidays) • Misdemeanors will heard at 10:00 AM • Felony cases will be heard 1:30 PM
E. Official Court Reporters o Assumed responsibility from the State of Illinois for the administration of the Office of Official Court Reporters.
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F. Grant Awards Each year, the Circuit Court administers an extensive amount of grants that help to reduce the amount of money to operate many critical programs, especially in the three probation departments: Adult Probation, Juvenile Probation, and Social Service (misdemeanor offenses). Grant funds also are used to assist in the planning of new Circuit Court initiatives. Presented here is a sampling of grants:
o Applied for and received the Robert Wood Foundation grant in the amount of $236,000 to enhance available substance abuse treatment and related ancillary services for minors referred to juvenile court. March 2001.
o Applied for and received a $1 million grant from Reclaiming Futures, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to improve drug and alcohol treatment for local teenagers in juvenile court. Funded a four-year effort to serve up to 350 teens annually in Chicago’s Lawndale community, with uniform screening of teens entering the justice system, more timely access to treatment, and help for teenagers to return to school or enroll in alternative programs. May 2003.
o Applied for and received grant in the amount of $99,822.00 from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to coordinate the delivery of free support services to thousands of domestic violence litigants. These services are made available through the court’s victim assistance program in the Domestic Violence Division and include free legal advice, direct representation in court or referrals to supportive services. Staff members have also engaged more than 100 pro bono attorneys and court and community stakeholders to improve victim access to legal remedies and to ensure compliance with court orders. The grant is available under a federal Recovery Justice Assistance program.
o Applied for and received a planning grant award in the amount of $15,000 under the Redeploy Illinois Initiative from the Illinois Department of Human Services as the first step in the full grant application process for the Circuit Court’s Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department to become a participating site in Redeploy Illinois. Redeploy Illinois supports the rehabilitation of juveniles by providing community based services for youth who otherwise would be committed to the Illinois Juvenile Department of Justice. The planning
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grant is used to conduct a profile analysis of those minors who were committed to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice for the period of 2009 through 2011. Completing this planning process will help the court to determine the feasibility of full participation in the Redeploy Initiative. 2013.
o Applied for and received a grant in the amount of $94,705.00 to fund Domestic Relations Division program for noncustodial parents. Judges may order parents who were never married to one another to participate in the program to facilitate the visits of noncustodial parents with their children. May 2014.
o Applied for and received a supplemental grant in the amount of $44,500 from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority through a federal Recovery Justice Assistance program to provide additional funds to help victims of domestic violence under the Circuit Court’s victim assistance program in the Domestic Violence Division. May 2013.
o On behalf of all Cook County criminal justice agency stakeholders, applied for and received a planning grant in the amount of $150,000 from the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to work with expert consultants on the development of a plan for justice system improvement. June 2015.
o Applied for and received a grant in the amount of $94,009.37 from Adult Redeploy Illinois to fund the salary of an attorney to provide on- site management, research, and resource coordination of community partnerships and resources for the Criminal Division’s Adult Redeploy Illinois, Access to Community Treatment (ACT) Court.
o Applied for and received a grant in the amount of $16,809.00 from the State of Illinois, Department of Human Services (IDHS), to supplement the salaries of 14 probation officers assigned to the Mental Health Unit of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Adult Probation Department. The Mental Health Unit has long been nationally recognized as a model for the supervision of offenders with serious chronic mental illnesses or developmental disabilities or both. They also supervise Mental Health Court participants. The unit’s officers empower mentally ill offenders by assisting them to become more self-sufficient consumers of services that are available to them. July 2013.
o Applied for and received a grant in the amount of $90,000.00 from the Illinois Department of Human Services through the Juvenile
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Accountability Block Incentive (JABG) program. Court-involved youth between the ages of 14 and 18 receive job readiness training and access to services that will include links to community resources and group counseling. In addition, activities such as camping, back to school rallies, and college tours available. The grant will also fund an evaluation of the juvenile detention reduction project. July 2014.
o Applied for and received a grant in the amount of $34,776.00 from the Illinois Department of Human Services to continue operation of the court’s Domestic Violence Program which provides court-ordered counseling services to domestic violence offenders who have been found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses against an intimate partner and are under the supervision of the court’s Social Service Department. In operation since 1979, the program complies with the standards for abuser treatment as set forth in the Illinois Protocol for Domestic Abuse Batterers Programs and is available countywide. July 2014.
o Applied for and received a grant in the amount of $28,065.00 from the Illinois Department of Human Services to continue the court’s Domestic Violence Program which provides court-ordered counseling services to domestic violence offenders who have been found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses against an intimate partner and are under the supervision of the court’s Social Service Department. In operation since 1979, the program complies with the standards for abuser treatment as set forth in the Illinois Protocol for Domestic Abuse Batterers Programs and is available countywide. July 2013.
G. Technological Advances o Replacement of the 40-year old case management system used by the Adult Probation Department, the Pretrial Services Unit and the Social Service Department (probation for misdemeanor offenses). A contract with Capita Technologies was approved by the Cook County Board of Commissioners on March 23, 2016. The $3.5 million system will result in several efficiencies: • Improve data entry process by enabling drop down codes for officers to choose instead of needing to remember which codes to enter. • Reduction of redundant data through interfaces with law enforcement, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Sheriff’s Office and State’s Attorney’s Office.
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• Interfaces expect to utilize the County’s new Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) that was recently approved by the County Board. • Real-time entry of data at the time of interviews with probationers or pretrial detainees and assessment. • Business rule utility to electronically notify officers and managers when a scheduled contact with a probationer or pretrial defendant has not been updated by the officer in the system.
o Built a temporary pretrial application in-house and deployed by the Chief Judge Information Services Department to electronically facilitate the data entry of the pretrial interview and PSA risk assessment information. The system automatically generates the risk assessment scores and supplemental reports for judges, defense attorneys and state’s attorneys. July 1, 2015.
II. Circuit Court Innovations
A. Pretrial Services
o Enhanced and expanded the court’s pretrial services operations in Central Bond Court in conjunction with the elimination of defendant appearances by video. Shifted significant resources to step up timely presentation of verified risk assessments to judges. December 2008.
o Restructured pretrial services operations by establishing a separate unit dedicated to Pretrial Services, appointing an Assistant Chief Probation Officer and two Deputy Chiefs to administer the unit. July 2014.
o Introduced a new scientifically based risk assessment called the PSA (Public Safety Assessment) in partnership with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Provided to the court free of charge, the PSA is a state-of-the-art instrument for determining defendants’ risk of pretrial misconduct. It has undergone extensive validation studies in jurisdictions throughout the country. A defendant’s PSA score is based on objective factors obtained from criminal history records and is not dependent upon subjective information or information obtained from interviews. The PSA instrument provides separate scales to measure risk of new criminal activity and risk of failing to appear for court. It also includes a violence flag to
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indicate elevated likelihood of a defendant committing a violent offense if released. July 2015, Phase I.
o Implemented the decision-making framework of the PSA risk assessment instrument in Central Bond Court. Pretrial officers present the score to judges that is a result of the decision-making framework, along with their reports, for their consideration in deciding whether to detain or release a defendant. March 2016, Phase II.
o Obtained pretrial officer access to the Chicago Police Department’s “Court Transmittal Report” in I-Clear which gives them electronic access to the daily list of detainees scheduled to appear in bond court. Electronic access to the transmittal report enables officers to know in advance which defendants will be appearing in Central Bond Court and to electronically access the arrest report, the rap sheet and LEADS report prior to the defendant’s arrival in the Sheriff’s lockup. August 2014.
o Provided all pretrial officers in pretrial interview area at the Leighton Criminal Court Building with the capability, via laptop computers and printers, to electronically access and to print a defendant’s criminal history information from LEADS, I-Clear, and the Circuit Clerk’s electronic docket. Internet access is also available to check background in other judicial circuits throughout Illinois and other states where information is available.
B. New Restorative Justice Community Court
o Will open the Circuit Court’s first ever Restorative Justice Community Court for young adults ages 18 to 26 in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. The purpose of the RJCC is to invest in the future of young nonviolent offenders by bringing them together with the victim and community residents to work out how to repair the harm done by the criminal action, heal relationships, and rehabilitate the offender. Spring 2017.
C. New Division for Domestic Violence o Established the Domestic Violence Division dedicated exclusively to hearing domestic violence matters. The goal of the division is to help victims of domestic violence and to increase efforts to stop the
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illegal activities of abusers to ultimately end the cycle of violence in each case. January 2010.
D. New Division for Elder Law o Established the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division To hear matters that involve the following in which a litigant is age 60 and older: the Adult Protective Services Act; the Illinois Power of Attorney Act; domestic violence cases; and certain criminal offenses in which the victim is age 60 and older. September 20145.
E. Cameras in the Court
o With the permission of the Illinois Supreme Court, established protocols permitting the use of news media cameras and recording devices in the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Officially called the Extended Media Coverage (EMC) Program. To date, all requests from the news media for cameras and recording devices in court have been approved, with only minor modifications. Appointed a court media liaison team comprising executive staff of the Office of the Chief Judge to provide assistance and support to judges with members of the media concerning EMC of court proceedings.
F. Transparent Appointment Process
o Established open and transparent process to fill a vacancy on the Cook County Board of Review. (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.) Vacancy was advertised online, and all submitted applications were posted online for public comment.
o Established open and transparent process to fill a vacancy on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. (Election board are filled by the circuit court where the election board is located. Board of Election Commissioners 10 ILCS 5/5-21). Vacancy was advertised online, and all submitted applications were posted online for public comment.
o Appointed a blue-ribbon committee to select the new Superintendent of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Vacancy was advertised online.
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III. Circuit Court Services for the Litigants
o Established the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Elder Justice Center, a court-based resource center which offers services for persons age 60 and older involved in legal proceedings. Located on the concourse level of the Richard J. Daley Center, services offered include help with navigating the court system and referrals to appropriate legal assistance and social services agencies. September 2013.
o Established the Court Resource Center for People Without Lawyers, located in the Richard J. Daley Center. The Resource Center houses the Domestic Relations Help Desk, the Municipal Help Desk and the Chancery Help Desk. March 2014.
o Launched participation in the JusticeCorps Volunteer Program. The program is staffed by student volunteers who are trained to help people without lawyers navigate the court system. They manage the concierge desk located outside the Court Resource Center for People Without Lawyers and assist litigants in obtaining appointments in the resource center, assist people in navigating the building, escort elderly patrons to locations within the building and perform the duties of an information desk. 2011, Daley Center. 2012, Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in Markham.
o Approximately fifty percent of the court’s foreign language interpreters are either certified or registered by programs approved by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts pursuant to the language access policy established by the Illinois Supreme Court. Certification, the optimal standard, requires passing both a written and oral exam; registration requires demonstration of competency by passing a written exam. Cook County has always administered an oral and a written competency exam to prospective interpreters, and they are not hired if they cannot pass the exam.
o Appointed a Director of Communications for the Office of the Chief Judge to disseminate information to the public on the court’s programs, goals, and achievements to help the public better understand the role and operations of the court. September 2015. A total of 32 media stories have run to date:
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• Sun-Times, Mark Brown on election commissioner process, Sept. 23, 2015 http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/984272/brown-help- wanted-chicago-election-czar • WGN-9 on Chief Judge Evans allowing county organ donation, Oct. 6, 2015 http://wgntv.com/2015/10/06/local-womans-fight-to-save- mothers-life-may-also-change-law/ • Chicago Tribune on court procedure for certain minors to obtain abortions, Oct. 9, 2016, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- abortion-judicial-bypass-met-20151009-story.html • WTTW Chicago Tonight on JTDC “new beginnings,” Oct. 29, 2015 http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/10/29/new-beginning-cook- county-juvenile-temporary-detention-center • Chicago Tribune, Mary Schmich, on Adoption Day, Nov. 15, 2015 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/schmich/ct- adoption-day-mary-schmich-1115-20151113-column.html • Judge Sharon Sullivan appeared on WBBM radio for Adoption Day, Nov. 17, 2015. The event was also covered by CBS-2, NBC-5, WGN-9, Fox-32, Telemundo and Univision • Daily Law Bulletin, drug court graduation, Nov. 20, 2015 http://chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2015/11/20/drug-court- graduation-11-20- 15.aspx?utm_source=public&utm_medium=story&utm_content=drug- court-graduation-11-20-15 • Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans’s Chicago Tribune op-ed on special prosecutor in Laquan McDonald, Dec. 15, 2015 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-laquan- mcdonald-special-prosecutor-cook-county-van-dyke-perspec-1216- 20151215-story.html Chicago RedEye story on drug court, Dec. 30, 2015 http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/redeye-addiction-drug- court-graduation-cook-county-probation-20151201-story.html Also ran in Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/redeye-addiction- drug-court-graduation-cook-county-probation-20151201-story.html • Chicago Defender on Jonathan Swain appointment as election commissioner, Jan. 4, 2016 http://chicagodefender.com/2016/01/04/chief-judge-tim-evans- announces-new-election-commissioner/ • Chicago Reader profile on Judge Jackie Portman, Jan. 7, 2016 http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/cook-county-judge-jackie- portman-criminal-justice/Content?oid=20763827 • ABC-7 NewsViews with Judge Burns on drug court, Jan. 10, 2016 http://abc7chicago.com/news/newsviews-cook-county-drug-court- treatment-program/1153454/ PBS NewsHour at the JTDC, Jan. 11, 2016 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/poetry-helps-youth-at-a- juvenile-detention-center-find-peace/ • Daily Law Bulletin profile on Judge Hood and new veterans court in Skokie, Jan. 12, 2016 http://chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2016/01/12/veterans-1-12- 16.aspx WGN-9 on new mental health court in Bridgeview, Jan. 19,
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2016 http://wgntv.com/2016/01/19/new-mental-health-court- unveiled/ • Tribune, Mary Schmich, on Judge Dickler and video divorce call, Feb. 12, 2016 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/schmich/ct-prison- divorce-mary-schmich-0214-20160211-column.html • Chicago Defender cover story on Chief Judge Evans, Feb. 17, 2016 http://chicagodefender.com/2016/02/17/chief-judge-tim-evans- brings-transparency-to-cook-county-circuit-court/ • Illinois Public Radio on cameras in the courtroom becoming permanent, Feb. 23, 2016 http://wuis.org/post/illinois-supreme-court- makes-camera-program-permanent#stream/0 • Telemundo on pro se small claims court, Feb. 23, 2016 http://www.telemundochicago.com/responde/_C_mo-entablar-una- demanda-sin-pagarle-a-un-abogado__TLMD---Chicago- 370260501.html • Fox 32 on community court in North Lawndale, April 14, 2016 http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/local/122661762-story DNAInfo on community court, April 14, 2016 https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160414/north-lawndale/west- side-community-court-focus-on-education-not-jail-top-judge-says • WBBM Radio report on community court in North Lawndale, April 14, 2016 http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/04/14/chicago-court-to- experiment-with-restorative-justice-model/#.VxAUENofYqY.twitter • Austin Weekly News on community court, April 19, 2016 http://www.austinweeklynews.com/News/Articles/4-19- 2016/Restorative-justice-court-headed-to-N.-Lawndale-/ • Southtown story on Bridgeview mental health court, April 20, 2016 http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta- mental-health-court-st-0420-20160419-story.html • Sun-Times, Mary Mitchell on Domestic Violence grant for child visitation, May 1, 2016 http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/mitchell- domestic-violence-court-tries-a-new-approach/ Cook County Chronicle on community court, May 4, 2016 http://chronicleillinois.com/news/cook-county-news/building-justice- community-north-lawndale/ • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin on 40 recommendations, May 5, 2016 http://chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2016/05/05/Pretrial- benchmarks-5-5-16.aspx ABC-7 on drug court graduation, May 12, 2016 http://abc7chicago.com/society/20-graduate-from-cook-co-drug- court-rehab/1335813/ CBS-2 on drug court graduation, May 12, 2016 http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/05/12/after-beating-drugs- graduates-have-hope-for-another-chance/ • ABC-7 Newsviews on Community Court with Chief Judge Evans and Judge Sheehan, May 15, 2016 http://abc7chicago.com/news/newsviews-community-court-in-north- lawndale/1339604/
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• WTTW Chicago Tonight on Community Court with Chief Judge Evans and Judge Sheehan, May 16, 2016 http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/05/16/cook-county-court-try- new-approach-justice • Daily Law Bulletin on mental health court in Skokie, May 16, 2016 http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2016/05/16/Mental- health-graduates-5-16-16.aspx ABC-7 profile on Judge Jessica O’Brien, May 21, 2016 http://abc7chicago.com/education/asian-influences- judge-jessica-arong-obrien/1349793/#videoplayer • Counterpunch.org, Robert Koehler, on community court, May 23, 2016 http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/05/23/rethinking-criminal-justice/ • Skokie Review on mental health court in Skokie, May 23, 2016 http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-mental- health-court-tl-0526-20160523-story.html • CBS-2 profile on Judge Jackie Portman, May 24, 2016, http://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/category/news/3404534-meet- cook-countys-tough-love-judge/ • Daily Law Bulletin on Judge Sharon Sullivan named presiding judge, May 26, 2016 http://chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2016/05/26/Sharon-Sullivan- promoted-5-26-16.aspx • Daily Law Bulletin on community court, May 31, 2016 http://chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2016/05/31/Community-court- 5-31-16.aspx • Cook County Record, WiFi in jury assembly rooms, June 7, 2016 http://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/510724175-circuit-court-adds- wi-fi-to-juror-assembly-rooms Tribune, juvenile probation’s running program, June 19, 2016 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- juvenile-probation-running-club-met-20160617-story.html • WGN-9 on Bridgeview’s first mental health court graduate, July 13, 2016 http://wgntv.com/2016/07/13/emotional-day-for-countys-first- mental-health-program-grad/ • The Director of Communications also is available to facilitate the dissemination of written rulings in cases that have attracted media coverage to the media shortly after the parties have received them. The judges appreciate the assistance, and the media appreciates the opportunity to receive the ruling immediately in court and not have to obtain it at a later time from the lawyers or the clerk’s office. • The Director of Communications also responds to daily media inquiries and helps educate journalists on operations of the Circuit Court of Cook County, the Adult Probation Department, Juvenile Probation & Court Services, and the Juvenile Temporary Detention
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IV. Circuit Court Divisions and Districts
A. Chancery Division
o Established a Court-Annexed Mediation Program. The goal of the program is to provide an expeditious and expense-saving alternative to traditional litigation in the resolution of controversies. August 2013.
o Established the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program. The goal of the program is to encourage homeowners in foreclosure to come to court so they can obtain free housing counseling and legal services to help them resolve their foreclosure cases. April 2010.
B. Criminal Division
o Convened the Felony Case Flow Management Committee comprising judges and criminal justice system stakeholders. The committee’s goal is to identify and establish procedures and policies that shorten criminal case disposition times within the framework of ensuring public safety and the fair, impartial administration of justice. September 2013. Some results to date: ! Amended Circuit Court Rule 15.1 to reduce the time from finding of probable cause, indictment or waiver to arraignment/assignment from 21 to 14 days. ! Entered General Administrative Order N0. 2014-11 to require the prosecution to provide to the defense the defendant’s criminal history in all criminal cases for use in pre-indictment proceedings in criminal court. ! Worked with the Chicago Police Department to develop a system by which advance notification can be given to counsel when an officer is unable to appear in court due to furloughs ! Worked with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications to develop a web-based application with an electronic form to submit subpoenas via email to resolve the issues of duplicate subpoenas and to provide both an internal and external tracking system for requests
o Appointed the first African American as Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division, Honorable LeRoy K. Martin, Jr. September 2015.
o Imposed a ban on cell phones and all electronic devices capable of connecting to the Internet at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court
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Building at 26th and California in Chicago. Judges were reporting that persons in the gallery were misusing cell phones by photographing witnesses and jurors in courtrooms and in public areas of the courthouse, texting testimony to witnesses outside the courtroom who were waiting to testify, and live streaming court proceedings. The purpose of the ban is to protect the rights of all persons to participate in court proceedings – jurors, defendants, attorneys, witnesses, judges, and spectators – without fear from physical harm and to preserve the dignity of the court process.
o Specialty Courts
• Established the Mental Health Court in which a team comprising a judge, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers and social service agencies oversee mentally ill probationers to ensure compliance with treatment and monitor progress toward improved mental health. May 2004.
• Established a Veterans Treatment Court to assist those who have served in the United States military, to reduce their risk of further involvement in the criminal justice system in the future, and to improve their overall quality of life. This mission is achieved through the combined efforts of a team comprising a judge, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers and social service agencies. 2009
• Established the Access to Community Treatment Court (ACT),a drug court probation program that seeks to help certain nonviolent, felony criminal offenders suffering from substance abuse problems from becoming repeat offenders and being incarcerated. The program links participants with behavioral health, vocational, and educational treatment services from community-based sources. The court closely monitors participants’ compliance with program protocols and provides encouragement for success through a range of rewards and sanctions. Incarceration is used as a last resort and for short periods. The annual service goal for the ACT Court is 170 participants, increasing the maximum caseload in 2016 by 100 active participants.
• Established the Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) HOPE Program, a structured probation program that operates in the Circuit Court’s Municipal District One (City of Chicago). The ARI HOPE judge and
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team work to give offenders the support and services they need to complete their probation sentence and move toward productive lives. Offenders who qualify are diverted from the Illinois Department of Corrections into the program which combines intensive probation supervision with cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-based treatment, and substance abuse treatment. Additional community-based social services, such as housing and vocational services, are also offered as part of the program. The court closely monitors participants’ compliance with program protocols and provides encouragement for success through a range of rewards and sanctions. Incarceration is used as a last resort and for short periods. The annual service goal for the ARI-HOPE Court is 300 participants, increasing the maximum caseload in 2016 by 150 active participants.
• Established the “WINGS” court for women charged with felony prostitution (Women In Need of Gender Specific Services). January 2011. Closed court when the state stopped prosecuting prostitution as a felony.
C. Domestic Relations Division
o Created a dedicated call for incarcerated litigants that allows them to participate in court proceedings via closed circuit television. May 2015.
o Expanded parenting classes to an online option.
o Created the Expedited Child Support and Paternity Help Desk in partnership with the Chicago Legal Clinic to offer bi-lingual (Spanish and English) services for litigants unable to afford an attorney to receive free legal advice for their child support enforcement and paternity cases, including those filed through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Made possible by funding from the Chicago Bar Foundation, the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Illinois Bar Foundation, and the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, as well as in- kind contributions from the Circuit Court of Cook County. August 2007.
D. Domestic Violence Division
o Established the Domestic Violence Division dedicated exclusively to hearing domestic violence matters. The goal of the division is to
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help victims of domestic violence and to increase efforts to stop the illegal activities of abusers to ultimately end the cycle of violence in each case. January 2010.
o Opened the new Domestic Violence Courthouse at 555 W. Harrison St., in Chicago. The state-of the-art facility features a victim-only elevator, secured victim waiting rooms for each courtroom, a safe and supportive environment in which to complete court documents, a screening area for litigants to speak to the Assistant States Attorneys in private, and a secure childcare area. 2005
E. Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division (ELMR) o Established the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division To hear matters that involve the following in which a litigant is age 60 and older: the Adult Protective Services Act; the Illinois Power of Attorney Act; domestic violence cases; and certain criminal offenses in which the victim is age 60 and older.
o Depending on the type of case, ELMR matters are heard in the Richard J. Daley Center, the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building and the Domestic Violence Courthouse.
o ELMR judges and courtroom staff are trained to be sensitive to the vulnerability of elderly litigants and to identify underlying issues and concerns.
F. Juvenile Justice Division
o Completed successful transition of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) from the federal oversight monitor to the Office of the Chief Judge and assumed administration of the JTDC for the first time in the history of Circuit Court pursuant to action by the Illinois General Assembly. May 2015.
o Convened a blue ribbon committee to select a new superintendent for the JTDC comprising individuals from the fields of juvenile justice, medical and mental health, law, education, labor and employment, and includes elected officials and the judiciary. September 2014.
o Appointed Leonard Dixon, a nationally recognized expert in juvenile detention as the JTDC superintendent responsible for the administration and management of all operations of the JTDC,
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including custody, medical/mental health services, social services, fiscal services, maintenance services, human resources, labor relations and other services. February 2015.
G. Law Division
o Appointed committee to study Law Division’s Black Line Trial Call to conduct a thorough evaluation of the practices and policies of the Black Line Trial Call and make recommendations to the Chief Judge. Appointed 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. December 2010.
o Launched the use of video teleconference technology to allow live remote testimony from witnesses. Uses a portable video teleconference set-up that can be wheeled into the courtroom. In addition to the requisite camera, monitors, and microphones, the set- up includes a document camera to allow for display of documents and exhibits pertaining to testimony. Equipment will be operated by Office of the Chief Judge employees assigned to the Office of Information Services. There will be no court costs to litigants for the use of the equipment or for services of court employees. May 2005.
o Established a Court-Annexed Mediation Program. The purpose of the program is to provide an expeditious and expense-saving alternative to traditional litigation in the resolution of controversies. April 2004.
o Established a Mandatory Arbitration Program for those commercial cases assigned to the Commercial Calendar Section of the Law Division, including cases with self-represented or pro se litigants, with damages of less than $75,000. December 2014.
H. Probate Division
o Established a Court-Annexed Mediation Program. The purpose of the program is to provide an expeditious and expense-saving alternative to traditional litigation in the resolution of controversies. April 2014.
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I. Municipal Districts
o Launched a social services referral desk that will link tenants facing eviction to affordable housing and other emergency assistance resources in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing. The Eviction Court Social Services Help Desk serves tenant defendants who have had orders of eviction entered against them as judgements in cases heard in Chicago eviction court, formally known as the Forcible Entry and Detainer Section of the First Municipal District. June 2006.
o Launched the Collection Self-Help Desk in the Daley Center to offer free legal advice, information, and referrals to low income pro se litigants appearing in the Supplementary Proceedings and Miscellaneous Remedies Section of the First Municipal District, informally known as collection court. A joint project of the Coordinated Advice and Legal Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS), the Circuit Court of Cook County, and the Chicago Bar Foundation. September 2005.
o Expanded Mental Health Treatment Court and Veterans’ Court to all five suburban courthouses in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham.
o Added Children’s Advocacy Rooms in the Second Municipal District in Skokie and the Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview. The Program provides free child care for children of parents and guardians attending court in a safe, nurturing environment to spare them from the often emotionally charged atmosphere of the courtroom. August 2010.
o Two more Children’s Advocacy Rooms will be added – one in the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building and one in the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows – bringing the total number of Children’s Advocacy Rooms to ten (10). The Program provides free child care for children of parents and guardians attending court in a safe, nurturing environment to spare them from the often emotionally charged atmosphere of the courtroom. January 2017.
o Added new gallery seating in nine courtrooms in the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse.
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o Renovated and enlarged the undersized Juvenile Justice Division courtroom and the felony courtroom in the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse. June 2013.
o Renovated the Jury Assembly Room in the Second Municipal District in Skokie, with new furniture and carpeting, as well as “quiet Rooms” where prospective jurors may use their laptops to work. 2006.
o Opened a lactation room in the Richard J. Daley Center for the use by the public and staff of the Office of the Chief Judge. July 2016.
o Partnered with Palos Community Hospital to provide free mental health services for low-level offenders in the Fifth Municipal District. January 2016.
o Upgrades to sound system in Central Bond Court in the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building. 2014.
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For more information about the Circuit Court of Cook County, go to: www.cookcountycourt.org
STATE OF ILLINOIS CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY Office of the Chief Judge
August 2016