PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans' statement regarding appellate court decisions

Released On 10/14/2020

The following is a statement from Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans regarding appellate court decisions:

"When appeals court judges disagree with trial court judges, an honest difference of opinion is often involved.  It is not only common for appeals courts to affirm or reverse with one or more dissenting judges, it is also common for a divided group of appeals court judges to be overruled by a divided group of judges in a higher appeals court.  Some of our nation’s most respected judges have written some of the most famous dissents; some of those dissents were later adopted as the correct view of the law by a different group of judges.   

"When voters evaluate a circuit court judge for retention, it is important to keep appeals court decisions in perspective.  Reversals should be considered along with a number of other factors, including appeals affirmed or dismissed, evaluations of judges by their peers in the bar associations, and fact-based media reports.  The reputation a judge acquires over years on the bench, which includes the opinions of attorneys, other court personnel, witnesses, jurors, and litigants who have experience with a judge, should also be taken into consideration."

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