News Archive

Cook County Chief Judge Donald P. O'Connell has announced the court will open an evening reporting center exclusively dedicated to female minor offenders in juvenile court. The new evening reporting center will be located on Chicago's Near West Side. The female evening reporting center is the first such center in the state of Illinois and will open on October 1, 2001. Funding for the new evening reporting center is provided by an unprecedented $250,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services in conjunction with the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.

The Honorable Donald P. O'Connell, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, today released this statement: 

Cook County Chief Judge Donald P. O'Connell today announced the court will begin distributing a questionnaire (attached) to persons who complete jury service in the Fifth Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview on July 16, 2001, as a pilot survey to determine how the court can improve service it provides to jurors. The project is being launched in cooperation with Fifth Municipal District Presiding Judge Anthony S. Montelione.

Cook County Chief Judge Donald P. O'Connell announced today that the Circuit Court of Cook County will host the Puerto Rican Heritage Day Courthouse Tour on Tuesday, June 26, 2001. The tour will take place in the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street and will depart the west lobby at 10:00 a.m. The tour program is part of an outreach initiative launched by Chief Judge O'Connell to increase access to the court for all communities by offering insight into the legal system.

The Circuit Court of Cook County today presented the Drive Wise, Stay Alive Mature Driver Program to a group of seniors at the Skokie Senior Center Village Hall.

The Circuit Court of Cook County presented a DUI crash reenactment and assembly on May 15, 2001, to eight hundred students from Alan B. Shepard High School as part of the school's two week Prom Promise anti-alcohol and drug campaign designed to help juniors and seniors make good decisions when faced with the pressure to use alcohol or drugs. 

Cook County Chief Judge Donald P. O'Connell and Chicago Traffic Center Supervising Judge Patrick E. McGann today announced general information concerning traffic violations cases can now be accessed online under the new Traffic Court section of the Circuit Court's web site www.cookcountycourt.org.

Cook County Chief Judge Donald P. O'Connell and the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education are pleased to announce the individual student and team winners of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Citywide Mock Trial 2001 Competition for Chicago public high school students held May 1, 2001, in the Richard J. Daley Center. 

Cook County Chief Judge Donald P. O'Connell announced today that the Circuit Court of Cook County will host the Third Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Courthouse Tours on May 23 and May 24, 2001. Chief Judge O'Connell also announced the Circuit Court's popular informational guide has been translated into Chinese and Korean and will be released in conjunction with the tours to commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. 

To educate young drivers on the dangers of alcohol, speed and poor judgement, the Circuit Court of Cook County will conduct its annual Smart Choices traffic safety program for approximately 800 Chicago public high school students from April 30, 2001, through May 4, 2001, at Comiskey Park in Chicago.