Tag: chief judge

Presiding from the bench in his courtroom at the Daley Center, Judge Charles Beach on Thursday heard a series of mostly-routine matters as part of his normal court call, but the exchanges were interspersed with well wishes and congratulations.

During a secret-ballot vote on Wednesday on the 17th floor of the same court building, Beach unseated Chief Judge Tim Evans, who will pass the torch on Dec. 1 after 24 years leading the judiciary.

Beach, who was appointed to the bench eight years ago by the Illinois Supreme Court, has served as a judge in both criminal and civil court buildings.

“I’m fluent in how they operate over there,” he told the Tribune on Thursday, speaking of the main criminal courthouse on the Southwest Side, “and I’m fluent in how they operate over here.”

Beach’s victory ushers in a new era for the Cook County court system, which has been led by Evans for nearly the entirety of the 21st century. Not without controversy, Evans’ historic eight terms as the first Black chief judge saw the county through reforms, changes and upheavals including the elimination of cash bail and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Either way you look at it, good, bad, neutral, he’s an institution,” said Amanda Pyron, who has worked closely with Evans on the court system’s handling of domestic violence.

Legal observers noted Evans’ age of 82, and said Beach is known as a personable and well-respected jurist. Many lauded Evans as an influential figure while also looking ahead in hopes of improvements, such as better access to data about how the system is working.

“I was surprised. I wasn’t shocked,” said Chris Lawler, a retired Cook County judge. “I thought Tim would still win but if anyone could beat Tim it would be Charlie.”

Evans’ next steps were not immediately clear on Thursday, but he does not have to retire when his term is up.

Along with management of the office’s $366 million budget and some 3,100 workers, Beach will take over a court system beset with systemic problems including grindingly slow progress in criminal cases and outdated technology.

He will also take over the complex process of absorbing all electronic monitoring defendants after Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart began sundowning his program earlier this year and management of the often-troubled Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Advocates have been trying to close the center for years in favor of a smaller or more community-based approach.

“It’s a really difficult job,” said Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, Jr., adding that Beach was an incredible trial attorney. “I think the biggest challenge will be thinking about this modernization piece.”

Speaking to the Tribune from his jury room, Beach said he seeks to bring the concepts of “good governance and transparency to the judiciary” when he takes on the role in December.

Among his leading priorities, Beach said, are improving communication within the judiciary and outside it, as well as upgrading technology. He has connected with key partners, including Mitchell and State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke.

In a statement, Burke called Evans a “legal pioneer” and congratulated Beach on his win.

Of Evans, she said: “He is also my former boss, my mentor, and my friend and I am grateful for his decades of service.”

Mitchell also praised Evans’ leadership, particularly for his role in reforming the pretrial system.

“The system has never been perfect but I think because of Chief Judge Evans’ leadership, it has gotten significantly better,” he said.

Beach credited Evans with doing a “fabulous job” in the role for more than two decades, but he said he stepped up to run because he felt the court system needed a more modern look and a “fresh voice.”

Evans easily sailed to victory in 2022 when he ran unopposed for his eighth term, but he turned away challengers in 2019 and 2016, facing criticisms about his leadership style from opposing candidates.

As he fought to hold onto his seat during a heated race in 2016, a retiring judge sent an email to colleagues accusing Evans of playing favorites in promotions and courtroom assignments, according to Tribune reporting at the time, as some ministers and clergymen condemned the attempt to unseat Evans.

In recent years, the court system as run by Evans has been the target of criticism by some county stakeholders, who have criticized how slowly criminal cases proceed through the court system and sparred over how the county handles electronic monitoring for pretrial defendants.

Evans’ supporters, though, note that he has championed programs meant to increase equity in the judicial system and was a critical figure in paving the way for a major reform of the county’s handling of pretrial justice when cash bail was eliminated statewide.

Larry Suffredin, an attorney who also worked with Evans as a former commissioner on the Cook County Board, said the chief judge had a “phenomenal run” and will be remembered not only for his legacy as a key leader in the City Council during former Mayor Harold Washington’s era, but as a progressive judge ahead of his time.

“The issue of his putting into place the pretrial order probably three years ahead of everybody else, his work on the Supreme Court task force to try to come up with cashless bail for the appropriate offenses, he always kind of understood what was going on,” Suffredin told the Tribune.

Suffredin also noted Evans work in developing specialty courts he developed for veterans, people addicted to drugs, and those struggling with mental health issues that seek to reduce harm that can be done by traditional court processes.

“As a judge once said to me, these are people who had one foot in a penitentiary and the other on a banana peel and needed to be careful,” he said.

Retired Judge Grace Dickler, who worked with Evans when she was presiding judge of the Domestic Relations Division, praised his commitment to domestic violence survivors, noting that, after spearheading the construction of a dedicated domestic violence courthouse, he regularly reconvened a committee to continue making improvements.

“I think it’s his core, his basic kindness and concern about people, that propels him to do what he does, or did,” Dickler told the Tribune, describing him as a gifted consensus builder and conscientious listener. “People still talk about what a great judge he was in getting people to see both sides… how great he was at pretrials, how he got people to come together and to resolve issues.”

Pyron, president and CEO of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, cited improvements made to the county’s domestic violence court, while also calling for greater data transparency.

“We think that there were a lot of really strategic improvements made in the Evans administration related to 24/7 court access and we certainly hope those continue,” Pyron said. “We also want increased access to data. We feel the court needs to be more transparent.”

A former trial attorney with an expertise in DUI offenses, Beach was appointed to the bench eight years ago by the Illinois Supreme Court, serving as a supervising judge in the traffic division and as supervising judge of the pretrial division at 26th Street. In his role at 26th Street, he helped roll out major changes in how first appearance hearings are conducted following the Pretrial Fairness Act.

“Charlie Beach is a well respected judge who is very personable and friendly,” Lawler said. “I think people can see that he can work with just about everybody.”