The Illinois Judges Association and President Justice David Overstreet will host Judicial Independence The Bulwark of Our Democracy, Celebrate our Past, Defend it Today on Thursday, May 9 in Springfield. This event is intended for all sitting judges, retired judges and their guests.

Illinois judges are increasingly being recognized for their dedicated work in courtrooms throughout the state. Here are some of the recent honors received by Illinois judges:

Beyond the Bench is a monthly feature to get to know more about judges and justices in the Illinois Courts, beyond their legal duties.

Justice Lisa Holder White of the Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the formation of a judicial screening committee for the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45 governing remote appearances in circuit courts was amended effective January 1, 2023, and required circuits to adopt local remote appearance rules within 90 days. (All of the local rules are available on the Illinois Courts website here.) In most circuits, this means that the local rules have just celebrated their first birthday, creating a natural opportunity for courts to reflect on their remote appearance rules and practices.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the appointment of 12 judges in the Circuit Court of Cook County. These appointments were made out of public necessity in order to ensure an adequate level of judicial staffing.

Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced that the Twelfth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Gabriel G. Orenic as an associate judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

More than one hundred years ago, prohibition was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution under the 18th Amendment. The Volstead Act allowed the federal government to enforce the new amendment. States passed their own prohibition laws and on June 27, 1921, Illinois passed the “Illinois Prohibition Act” to establish uniformity with the federal law. However, enforcement proved difficult, as many people resorted to bootlegging and speakeasies to obtain liquor illegally.

On September 18, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court’s stay of Public Acts 101-652 102-1104, commonly and collectively known as the Pretrial Fairness Act, was lifted, and circuit courts began to conduct hearings concerning pretrial release and detention of criminal defendants. Circuit courts weathered the initial storm of detention petitions, and appellate courts braced for a surge in their caseloads.

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice is seeking volunteer members to serve on its new Consumer Debt Committee.