BREAKING NEWS
Judge removed after allegedly allowing lawyer to hear cases, wear robe
Steve Mills and Todd LightyContact ReportersChicago Tribune
A veteran Cook County Circuit Court judge allegedly allowed a lawyer who is running for election to the bench to wear her robe and hear some of her cases at the Markham courthouse late last week, a breach of judicial ethics as well as a potential violation of the law.
The move prompted the county's chief judge, Timothy Evans, to remove the judge from the bench Wednesday until further notice.
The incident occurred in the courtroom of Judge Valarie Turner, who allegedly allowed lawyer Rhonda Crawford to take her place on the bench during her morning call of cases, Evans said in a statement. It is not clear if people appearing for cases knew of the situation in the courtroom.
Turner, a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Law School, is a former federal prosecutor who also worked as an associate with the Kirkland & Ellis law firm. First elected to the bench in 2002, she hears municipal cases in Markham.
Crawford, records show, works for the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans. In March, she handily defeated two opponents in the Democratic primary for the First Judicial Subcircuit, which includes parts of the South Side of Chicago and some of the south suburbs.
She is unopposed in the November general election.
Pat Milhizer, a court spokesman, declined to say whether Evans referred the matter to criminal authorities for investigation or to the disciplinary agencies that handle misconduct allegations made against lawyers and judges. He also would not say the types of cases Crawford improperly presided over or what now happens to those cases.
The incident shocked judicial ethics experts, who said it would be such an ethical lapse — and possibly a violation of the law for the impersonation of a judge — they were surprised any judge would allow it, and any lawyer would actually take the bench. It also raised a host of issues, from questions about the validity of any judgment Crawford might have rendered to the cost and inconvenience of rehearing cases she handled.
Finally, the incident raised questions about the judgment of any lawyers who took part in cases knowing that Crawford is not a judge.
"I can't see how someone else can just sit and be a judge," said Clifford Scott-Rudnick, a professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago who specializes in legal ethics. "Obviously, if you're entitled to have a judge hear your case, it has to be a real judge."
He said the state Judicial Inquiry Board, which oversees and disciplines judges, and state's Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission likely would investigate the matter, whether or not the chief judge's office takes any action.
Turner and Crawford could not be reached for comment. Evans also suspended Crawford from her job pending an internal investigation. She has been a law clerk/staff attorney in his office since 2011, and makes nearly $57,000 a year.
Evans made the move after a meeting with his executive committee.
"The public's confidence in the judiciary is the cornerstone of our system of justice, and I have taken the steps necessary to preserve that confidence," Evans said in the statement. "Because the investigation is pending, I believe it is inappropriate to comment further at this time."
smmills@chicagotribune.com
tlighty@chicagotribune.com
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