Cook County Circuit Court Clerk on Department Oversight, Increased Access to Public Records


The Cook County Circuit Court clerk may not be a political office you’re familiar with. The office is charged with managing court records and court orders — serving more than 400 judges across Chicago and suburban Cook County.

Now just a few months into her term, Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos is out with a new progress report. She joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss some of the report’s takeaways.

On executing campaign promises:

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“I ran on transparency, accessibility and accountability,” Spyropoulos said. “And those are sort of the pillars that everything that we’ve focused on in the office have to run through those values.”

The clerk pointed to the launch of the first data dashboard, where residents can find information on cases dating back to 2020. As needs grow, Spyropoulos said, the office is open to expanding the database.

“There’s a lot on our plate,” she said. “But we’re doing, I think, a great job, and I’ve got a great team dedicated to that.”

On transparency from the office:

The Cook County Circuit Court is not subject to FOIA requirements like other government agencies. In addition to the data dashboard, Spyropoulos said changing that requirement is a goal of her office.

“We are certainly dedicated to the freedom of information,” she said. “We’ll be having the conversations with state legislatures in order to get some kind of legislation going forward. But it will take time. It’s a process, and we have to have a lot of conversations about that.”

On department oversight:

Spyropoulos said her office will work to shift oversight responsibilities to the independent inspector general who currently oversees other agencies in the county. Meanwhile, an internal inspector has been appointed to implement a new ethics policy and more.

customer service survey is also available for residents to fill out.

“So if the public has any compliments or complaints, all of that goes directly to the inspector general to make sure that we’re looking into any problems that are arising,” Spyropoulos said.

Read Spyropoulos’ progress report here.


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