Press Release |
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the schedule to terminate bond courts and marriage and civil union courts that operate on weekends and holidays in all suburban Cook County courthouses and transfer them to Chicago locations.
The changes are set to go into effect beginning Saturday, May 5, 2012, at three of the court’s five suburban courthouses: the Second Municipal District courthouse in Skokie, the Third Municipal District courthouse in Rolling Meadows and the Fourth Municipal District courthouse in Maywood. The Sixth Municipal District courthouse in Markham will cease holding bond court on Saturday, June 9, 2012. Marriages and civil unions are performed in the Markham courthouse Monday through Friday only.
Effective on those dates and going forward, bond court proceedings for suburban arrestees on weekends and holidays will take place in Central Bond Court at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building, 2600 South California in Chicago. Persons who would have gone to their local suburban courthouse on weekends to have marriages and civil unions performed may go to Marriage Court located at 119 West Randolph Street in Chicago.
Suburban police departments will have the option of either transporting arrestees directly to Central Bond Court, or turning them over to deputies at the Cook County Sheriff`s 24-hour prisoner lockups located in the Maywood and Markham courthouses. Sheriff’s personnel will then transport arrestees to Central Bond Court. The arrangement is a result of the coordinated efforts of the offices of the Chief Judge, the Sheriff, the Public Defender, the State’s Attorney and the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
The termination of bond courts and marriage and civil union courts is a result of a decision by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to close Cook County’s suburban courthouse facilities on weekends and holidays to reduce costs. The first courthouse facility to shut down on weekends and holidays was the Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview in early January 2012.
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