News Room

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. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court has developed a plan to improve court access to help
domestic violence victims, which will include an after-hours pilot program to start this September, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

The award-winning documentary, “Any Given Day,” which features the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Mental Health Court program, will air on PBS on Thursday, July 7, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

Public television’s WORLD Channel, which is carried by local PBS station WTTW-Channel 11, will air the documentary at 7 p.m. as part of the “America ReFramed” series. 

The Circuit Court of Cook County’s Restorative Justice Community Court in Englewood will hold its first graduation ceremony on Wednesday morning, honoring 29 graduates, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. The graduates successfully completed an intensive program focused on education, accountability, and job training designed to address nonviolent crime and prevent recidivism. 

Eight participants in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s mental health court program and two participants in the drug court program will graduate in a joint ceremony at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse this week, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. 

A recent claim that all those accused of violent crimes are “guilty” and should be in jail prior to trial is wrong on both the law and the facts, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said on Tuesday.

Judge Evans condemned the tragic wave of violent crime that has afflicted Chicago and other American cities so far this year. “Some of the victims have been successful young participants in my court programs and looked forward to full and meaningful lives before being shot and killed,” he said.