News Room

The Circuit Court of Cook County is the recipient of a $450,000 federal grant to assist in creating alternatives to youth detention. The grant, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), will help with the construction and operation of assessment centers and “Community Centers of Care.”

On Jan. 9, 2024, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC), the agency with oversight over state courts and detention centers, announced that the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) has met or exceeded all state requirements for juvenile safety and well-being. 

Due to the extremely cold weather predicted for Tuesday, January 16 that may adversely impact the health and safety of court personnel and litigants, the Circuit Court of Cook County is encouraging participants to attend court remotely, if possible, said Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

Due to a weather-related power outage which has closed the Fifth Municipal District courthouse in Bridgeview on Friday, all Fifth District misdemeanor, civil, traffic, and felony cases will receive other dates, said Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Fifth Municipal District Presiding Judge Kerry M. Kennedy.

For misdemeanor and traffic cases, the Circuit Court Clerk will notify defendants of their next court dates, said Judge Kennedy.

All civil cases will be continued until Tuesday, Jan. 16, unless already continued.

Due to predictions of significant snowfall on Friday, particularly in northwest suburban Cook County, all defendants and witnesses who have hearings in the Third Municipal District can use video conference (Zoom) to attend proceedings, rather than coming to the Rolling Meadows courthouse in person, said Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Third Municipal District Presiding Judge Jill Cerone-Marisie.

The Skokie Mental Health Court, which was featured in an award-winning documentary film, will graduate four participants on Thursday, December 14, at a special ceremony, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

This will be the final graduation ceremony for the Mental Health Court’s presiding judge, the Hon. Lauren Edidin, who has presided over the court for 12 years and is retiring. The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in Room 201 at the Second Municipal District Courthouse, 5600 Old Orchard Road, in Skokie.

Nine participants in the (W)RAP drug court program will graduate on Thursday, November 30, at a special ceremony at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in Courtroom 402, 2600 S. California Ave., in Chicago. The media is welcome to attend, and can also watch by Zoom (Meeting ID: 851 0615 4375, Passcode: 402402). All graduates will appear in person.

Eleven children, including two sets of siblings and two teenagers, will be joined to loving families on Friday at a National Adoption Day ceremony at the Daley Center courthouse, said Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

Participants in the Restorative Justice Community Court program are now getting help in finding housing through Heartland Human Care Services, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

Also, building on the success of these diversion courts, Chief Judge Evans has announced plans for a new Restorative Justice Community Court in southwest suburban Sauk Village, the first-ever in suburban Cook County.  

The Avondale and North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Courts will graduate 64 participants this month, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

The Avondale and North Lawndale courts will graduate 16 and 48 participants, respectively. The Avondale ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, at Resurrection Hall of St. Hyacinth Basilica, 3636 West Wolfram St. in Chicago. The North Lawndale ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, at UCAN, 3605 W. Fillmore St. The public is welcome to attend.