PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chief Judge Evans announces dates for court's annual National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours

Released On 09/03/2003

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours will be held on Friday, October 3, 2003, and Monday, October 6, 2003, in the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street in Chicago. Joining the court in sponsoring the tours are the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

The tours are designed to offer the public a sense of day-to-day operations in one of the world’s largest unified court systems. Tour highlights include a visit to a courtroom to observe a trial in progress, a meeting with a judge of the Circuit Court for an informal presentation, and the opportunity to meet with bar association representatives. Tour participants also receive a copy of the Circuit Court of Cook County Informational Guide, which outlines the structure of the Circuit Court of Cook County, explains the basics of trial proceedings, and includes a directory of court and county services. The guide will be provided in Spanish and English.

The Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours are part of the court’s year-round Community Heritage Month Courthouse Tour series. The tours combine public education activities with national and local observances celebrating racial and ethnic diversity. Tours are also held during Arab Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Black History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, and on Puerto Rican Heritage Day. The tours have been attended by hundreds of Cook County residents.

Individuals and groups planning on attending the Annual Circuit Court of Cook County National Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Courthouse Tours may contact the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Public Affairs Office at (312) 603-1927 on or before September 30, 2003. The tours are limited to persons age ten and older, with a maximum of 35 persons to a group. Reservations are recommended. The tours will depart at 10:00 a.m. from the Daley Center’s west lobby located on the Randolph and Clark Streets side.