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    Judicial Conduct

    Stories about judicial behavior and misbehavior.

    Illustration of Cook County Judge Charles Burns reading a piece of paper that reads

    With 40 reversed decisions, longtime Cook County criminal court judge seeks another 6-year term

    By Maya Dukmasova | October 25, 2022

    Though lauded for his handling of a specialized drug court program, Charles Burns’ decisions in felony cases have been undone by higher courts more often than his colleagues’.

    Appellate Judge Sheldon A. Harris

    Judicial watchdog files complaint against appellate judge accused of interfering in nephew's case

    Judge Vincent Gaughan presides over a hearing for Jason Van Dyke at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building in Chicago.

    Data highlights leniency of ex-officer Jason Van Dyke’s murder sentence

    Appellate Judge Sheldon A. Harris

    Illinois Appellate Court Judge Sheldon Harris announces retirement, creating vacancy for June primary

    Silhouetted figures approach a maze with the scales of justice fallen on their side in the center.

    Panel weighs problems and solutions at Cook County domestic violence court

    Judicial Conduct
    A portrait of a woman sitting on a park bench with one arm resting on the back of the bench.

    Her crime was driving without a license; a judge forced her to choose between months in jail or a year of alcohol monitoring

    By Maya Dukmasova | August 5, 2022

    Anastasia Strauther still doesn’t understand why Cook County Judge Gregory Vazquez ordered her to wear a sobriety monitor for a driving on a suspended license case.

    Judicial Conduct

    Cook County judge accused of physical and verbal harassment when she was a prosecutor; office says allegations were ‘unsubstantiated’

    By Carlos Ballesteros and Maya Dukmasova | June 24, 2022

    Primary candidate Judge Ruth Gudino allegedly ‘engaged in unwanted touching’ and bullied co-workers as a prosecutor, according to a memo obtained by Injustice Watch. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said the allegations were ‘unsubstantiated.’

    Judicial Conduct
    3d rendering gavel and a red heart on white background

    Proposed judicial ethics code is silent on courthouse romances

    By Maya Dukmasova | February 14, 2022

    The code of conduct for judges may get a long-overdue update, but critics say the revision should have banned relationships between judges and their subordinates.

    Español
    A judge looks down from the bench and winks at a woman, who is turned away from him.

    El juez del condado de Cook, Raúl Vega, se jubila bajo una nube de acusaciones

    By Kelly Garcia (Chicago Reader) | January 31, 2022

    Vega, ex juez superior de la corte de violencia doméstica del condado de Cook, se jubilará con una pensión vitalicia, a pesar de las acusaciones de maltrato de las mujeres en su sala de tribunal.

    Judicial Conduct

    Cook County Judge Raúl Vega is retiring under a cloud of allegations

    By Kelly Garcia (Chicago Reader) | January 27, 2022

    The former top judge of Cook County’s domestic violence court, Vega will retire with a lifetime pension, despite accusations from women in his courtroom that he mistreated them.

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