The North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court will hold a graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 13, for 80 graduates – the largest graduation in the court’s five-year history.
The ceremony will be held at UCAN Chicago, 3605 W. Fillmore Ave. Featured speakers include the Hon. Patricia Spratt, the presiding judge of the court, and Rayshawn Fields, a graduate who has composed a rap song about his experience.
The Hon. Rena Marie Van Tine has been named Acting Presiding Judge of the County Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.
The Hon. Regina Scannicchio has been named Acting Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.
Judge Scannicchio was first appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2011, after 23 years as a private domestic relations attorney. She was elected in 2012 and retained in 2018. After a year in traffic court, she became a judge in the Domestic Relations Division in 2012.
On September 21, 2022, the Chicago Police Department filed a complaint against Circuit Judge Carl B. Boyd, alleging that, on September 20, Judge Boyd committed the offense of domestic battery, in violation of 720 ILCS 5/12-3.2(a)(l), a Class A misdemeanor.
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans was elected today to an eighth term as chief judge by an overwhelming majority of circuit judges voting. His new three-year term will begin December 5, 2022.
Earlier today, the Office of the Chief Judge (OCJ) was notified by Google that the OCJ’s YouTube accounts, used to provide public access to court proceedings, will be restored after being temporarily disabled last week.
Last Friday, Google disabled the accounts due to unspecified violations of unspecified YouTube Community Guidelines. The Office of the Chief Judge appealed. Earlier today, the OCJ received a notice from Google’s YouTube team confirming that the court’s channels do not violate the guidelines and acknowledging that “sometimes we make mistakes.”
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has established an implementation committee to work with the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) to implement recommendations of the Circuit Court of Cook County Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) designed to best help youth in detention.
These recommendations include:
Earlier today, the Office of the Chief Judge was notified by Google that the OCJ’s YouTube accounts, used to provide public access to court proceedings, had been disabled due to unspecified violations of unspecified YouTube Community Guidelines.
The OCJ is not aware of any particular instance that would have precipitated the action, but understands that court proceedings are sometimes graphic in nature and not suitable for all audiences.
Donald W. Russell, who has served as Jury Room Supervisor at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse for 15 years, has been appointed Acting Jury Administrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, effective September 1, 2022, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.
Russell has been an employee of the Office of the Chief Judge for almost 25 years, starting in 1998 with the Mandatory Arbitration Program. He joined Jury Administration in 2000, and was promoted to Jury Room Supervisor at the Criminal Courthouse in 2007. He will replace Anthony Barone, who is retiring at the end of August.
Circuit Court of Cook County judges have joined in a statewide initiative sponsored by the Illinois Conference of Chief Judges and the Illinois Judges Association to help local schools, students, and community organizations prepare for success in the 2022-23 academic year by collecting school supplies, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.
The school supplies collected in the Circuit Court of Cook County will be donated to the young people who attend Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative High School, which serves the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
