Crime & Law
Cook County Chief Judge Prepares for Possible Mass Arrests at DNC: ‘People Are Going to Be Heard’
With the Democratic National Convention just days away, Cook County judges are clearing their schedules. It comes as part of an administrative order from Chief Judge Tim Evans to prepare for the possibility of mass arrests.
The order established a facility at Belmont and Western avenues that would handle those cases. If a judge determines a defendant needs to be detained pending trial, that person would be sent to Cook County Jail.
“(CPD) knew that we’d have to open up a whole new court, that we’d have to get it ready in a very short period of time, but I told them I was willing to do that,” Evans said. “Because the citizens of our country deserve the right to be able to raise their issues to the members of their government.”
Evans also said Cook County judges were trained on the Pretrial Fairness Act to ensure the process goes smoothly and according to the law.
Many previously scheduled criminal and civil cases are on hold, but for those that need to move along, they have been shifted to the third district court in Rolling Meadows. Evans said people being summoned can check to see if they need to make the trip.
“Jurors are being informed that they are on standby,” Evans said. “So if they receive a summons from my office, all they need to do is call in. We can tell them whether they’re going to be needed or not.”
Cook County courts saw a high volume of cases when protests arose in 2020 over the police murder of George Floyd. Evans said the legal community has learned many lessons since then and is working to ensure people are safe in courts.
“People are going to be heard,” Evans said. “And it’s going to be a very successful convention. I have no doubt about that.”
