September 27, 2017

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Preston Jones, Jr. as a Circuit Judge of Cook County, at Large, to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Circuit Judge Thomas E. Flanagan. The appointment is effective September 25, 2017 and goes through December 3, 2018.

Jones has served as an Assistant Public Defender in the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender for 23 years. In his time with the Public Defender's office, Jones worked in the Juvenile Justice/Child Protection Division and Felony Trial Division before joining the Homicide Task Force in 2004. In his role with the Homicide Task Force, Jones litigated jury and bench trials for individuals accused of murder or manslaughter and advocated for the individuals from arraignment through sentencing.

Jones is a member of the Cook County Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Phi Beta Sigma Association. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and his juris doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law.