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Court[edit]

Jurisdiction of the Cook Judicial Circuit

The Cook Judicial Circuit encompasses Cook County, Illinois. It is the largest judicial district in the state and, according to the court website, "one of the largest unified court systems in the world."^[1]

Circuit court judges[edit]

• Timothy C. Evans^[1] (Chief judge)

Serving Chicago, unless otherwise noted:

Cook County Courthouse housing the domestic violence division.

Cook County Criminal Courthouse on Chicago's South Side

Resident judges[edit]

• Sophia Hall
• Irwin Solganick

Associate judges[edit]

Former judges[edit]

Operation Greylord[edit]

In the 1980s, the Cook County Circuit Court was probed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Operation Greylord. Allegations of corruption in the court ranged from fixing drunk driving cases to felony charges. A lawyer was caught on tape bragging that "even a murder case can be fixed if the judge is given something to hang his hat on."^[3]

By the end of the probe, nearly 100 people, including lawyers, police officers, court clerks, sheriff's deputies, and 17 judges were indicted, and all but a handful were convicted. Of the judges indicted, 15 were convicted of corruption charges, including Judge Richard LeFevour who was sentenced to twelve years in prison for taking bribes to fix traffic cases.^[3]

See also[edit]

• Cook County, Illinois
• Courts in Illinois
• Illinois counties
• Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court Subcircuits

External links[edit]

• Illinois Courts, "Judges of the Cook Judicial Circuit"

Footnotes[edit]

Elections[edit]

See also: Illinois judicial elections

Illinois is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Illinois, click here.

• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2025
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2016
• Illinois judicial elections, 2014
• Illinois judicial elections, 2012
• Illinois judicial elections, 2010

Selection method[edit]

See also: Partisan elections

There are 513 judges on the Illinois Circuit Court, each elected in partisan elections to six-year terms. Upon the completion of these terms, judges who wish to continue serving must compete in uncontested, nonpartisan retention elections.^[1]

The chief judge of each circuit court is selected by peer vote; he or she serves in that capacity indefinitely.^[1]

The circuit courts are also served by 391 associate judges, who are limited in that they may not preside over cases in which the defendant is charged with a felony (an offense punishable by one or more years in prison). Associate judges are appointed to four-year terms by circuit judges.^[2][1]

Midterm vacancies are filled by Illinois Supreme Court appointment.^[1]

Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:^[1]

• a U.S. citizen;
• a circuit/county resident; and
• licensed to practice law in Illinois.

Election rules[edit]

Primary election[edit]

The general primary occurs on the third Tuesday in March.^[3] Unlike many states with contested judicial elections, races in Illinois are regularly contested, often with several candidates running for a seat. The Illinois primary is closed, meaning that voters must declare which major political party's ballot they wish to vote on.^[4]

The candidate that wins the most votes in the primary advances to the general election to compete against the candidate from the other party.^[3] If only one party has candidates in a primary race, that winner will continue on to run unopposed in the general election.^[5] Uncontested primary candidates are not included on the primary ballot but instead automatically advance to the general election.^[3][6]

General election[edit]

The general election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.^[3]

Retention election[edit]

At the expiration of their term, judges may run for retention. Judges seeking retention are required to file a declaration of candidacy to succeed themselves with the secretary of state at least six months prior to the general election. The names of judges seeking retention are then given to voters on a special judicial ballot—without party designation and without an opposing candidate—featuring the sole question of whether he or she should be retained for another term in office.^[7] Retention elections are held along with the general elections in the specific district or circuit where the judge is seeking retention. To be retained, judges must receive three-fifths of the vote.^[8]