As the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board investigates powerful Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. for claiming improper property tax exemptions in another county, an Injustice Watch examination into his other property holdings raises additional ethical questions. Wright, 83, a highly respected presiding judge overseeing dozens of colleagues in the first municipal district, was a […] The post Property records raise new questions about influential Cook County judge appeared first on Inju...| Injustice Watch
For the third time in the past four elections, voters removed a Cook County judge from the bench — something which hadn’t happened in the previous three decades. Judge Shannon O’Malley, 62, a first-term judge in the court’s child protection division, was ousted by voters in the Nov. 5 election after Injustice Watch raised questions […] The post O’Malley loses retention, becoming third judge in 6 years to be ousted by voters appeared first on Injustice Watch.| Injustice Watch
Embattled Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright was referred to a state disciplinary board on Wednesday by the chief judge after an Injustice Watch investigation found he took inappropriate homestead and senior tax exemptions on a house he owned in Will County. Wright, 83, will retain his powerful position as presiding judge of Cook County’s […] The post Powerful Cook County judge referred to judicial misconduct board over residency conflicts appeared first on Injustice Watch.| Injustice Watch
Editor’s note: This story describes preliminary results as they stood the day after the Nov. 5 election. For our report on the final election results, click here. One Cook County judge was losing his bid to keep his job and two more were in peril as vote-counting continued after Tuesday’s election. Shannon O’Malley — one of two judges […] The post Three Cook County judges close to losing seats following scrutiny appeared first on Injustice Watch.| Injustice Watch
The post Live Cook County judicial retention election results appeared first on Injustice Watch.| Injustice Watch
The second floor of Cook County’s main criminal courthouse on the corner of 26th Street and California Avenue is unlike the other floors, weirdly cramped. Its winding, narrow hallways lead to low-ceilinged rooms that feel like they were inserted into the building as an afterthought. In late August, I walked into Judge Joanne Rosado’s courtroom, […] The post Reporter’s Notebook: Snapshots from watching 8 Cook County judges at work appeared first on Injustice Watch.| Injustice Watch
Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr., a powerful pillar of the judiciary for decades, is facing new scrutiny from the legal community following Injustice Watch reporting he took inappropriate property tax exemptions in another county. The rare spotlight on a sitting judge — coming as early voting is underway in the Nov. 5 election […] The post Bar groups reconsider ratings of powerful Cook County judge, citing Injustice Watch report appeared first on Injustice Watch.| Injustice Watch