2018 Retention

The upcoming retention election for 59 Cook County circuit judges has drawn attention for the handful of judges on the ballot whose record is marred by controversial past actions. Less attention-getting are the judges on the ballot whose work has been exemplary. A complete guide to all the judges on the ballot can be found in the Injustice Watch guide. https://interactives.injusticewatch.org/judicial-guide/index.html

As he seeks retention, Cook County Circuit Judge Michael McHale faces questions about his conduct handling a series of criminal trials. Defense attorneys in one contend he engaged in improper contacts with prosecutors.

Traditionally Cook County Circuit Court judges easily win retention every six years, with voters paying little attention to those races at the bottom of their ballots. This year, however, a confluence of events may change all that.

Cook County judge Matthew Coghlan, facing retention in November, says he was not part of a meeting where a corrupt cop convinced an informant to frame two innocent men for murder. Court records, however, show he may have met the informant that day.