Michael Murphy

Candidate Q&A

Why do you want to be Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County?

The system is broken, and it is time to fix it.

Why do you believe you are the most qualified candidate?

I don’t trust the government; I don’t trust people that stay in government. Those people are only looking out for themselves. I want to get in and remove all the red tape that is in our circuit court, and I do not care if it has always been this way.

Is the Clerk's piece of the court system working the way it should?

No, No, it is broken, understaffed, and highly corrupt, leading to backlogs and complaints.

Compliance administrator, Susan Feibus, was responsible for monitoring the Circuit Court Clerk’s office to ensure politics was not taken into consideration in most personnel decisions including hiring, firing and discipline of non-executive staff under the Shakman Decree. The federal oversight of the Clerk's office started in 2018 under then-Clerk Dorothy Brown and continued until 2022. (Brown did not run for re-election in 2020.) In her final report submitted to the court, Feibus did not conclude that compliance had been reached by the office in 2022. Instead, the monitor noted a U.S. appeals court ruling would compel a judge to terminate the court oversight. Feibus also noted ongoing issues at the clerk’s office including that the training on the employee handbook was “problematic” and lacking clarity. Feibus also noted in 2022 that the court clerk’s human resources department “remains understaffed.” What more does the Clerk's office need to do to go above and beyond the Shakman monitor's findings to improve on staffing and training?

We need real leadership, someone willing to come in and say that just because it has always been this way, it needs to stop. Clear documentation of the processes for any action and how to resolve it quickly and effectively, and if there is an issue with the “handbook,” it needs to be updated promptly.

Bail bonds were required to be refunded 4-6 weeks after a case is closed. But according to an August 2023 ABC 7 investigation, under-staffing (by more than 500 in an office of around 1400 people) was cited for delays in refunds. The clerk also lost 55 staffers in May of 2023 because of COVID Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud allegations. Is the office fully staffed now and why has it been difficult to keep staff?

I cannot answer this question as someone who does not currently work in the circuit court.

What does it say to you when 4% of the clerk's staff is accused of bilking the government for PPP fraud?

I cannot answer this question as someone who does not currently work in the circuit court.

What more can be done to recruit and retain law-abiding employees?

Better pay and benefits that are keeping up with inflation.

In 2017, a law passed that requires the Circuit Court Clerk's office to provide records for appeals electronically. Where does the backlog stand and what can be done to expedite record scanning?

I cannot answer this question as someone who does not currently work in the circuit court.

Diversion programs allow people charged with a non-violent felony who don't have a previous felony record to complete a program in order to avoid having a felony conviction on their otherwise clean record. WBEZ found that for at least three years some people's records showed a felony despite finishing a diversion program. Both the Cook County Clerk and Cook County Chief Judge came up with a solution to ensure felony records are not entered incorrectly into records. Have all the records been fixed and if not, how do you think the fix should be expedited?

I cannot answer this question as someone who does not currently work in the circuit court.

In 1995, the Second District Illinois Appellate Court ruled that the administrative functions of the courts are not subject to FOIA — even thought the law states that “administrative” bodies are included. House Bill 2455 was introduced in 2023 to force the judiciary to respond to a FOIA request within five business days just like every other public agency in the state. It is supported by various organizations which formed the Court Transparency Coalition which states, “The entire Illinois court system operates without the basic transparency protections FOIA provides. Unlike every other government body in Illinois, the judiciary is not currently subject to FOIA, which means it has full discretion over what information it releases about its operations.” Given that discretion, do you believe journalists and researchers should be able to file Freedom of Information Act requests of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County to shed light on how the court system works?

Yes, There is no reason why a FOIA request cannot happen to any process within the circuit court.

Given the discretion afforded to the Clerk, would you comply with journalists' and researchers' FOIA request for information on how the Court Clerk's office collects fines and fees, how much is collected and how fines and fees are distributed by the clerk?

Yes, There is no reason why a FOIA request cannot happen to see what fines and fees are collected and how they are distributed.

Given the discretion afforded to the Clerk, would you comply with journalists' and researchers' FOIA request for information on the kinds of programs that people on probation must complete or how many people successfully complete those programs?

Yes, There is no reason why a FOIA request cannot happen for disciplinary records for non-judicial employees.

Given the discretion afforded to the Clerk, would you comply with journalists' and researchers' FOIA requests for information on the disciplinary records of the 4,000 non-judicial employees who work in the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County office?

Yes, There is no reason why a FOIA request cannot happen employees disciplinary records for the non-judicial employees

The Cook County Circuit Court lags behind in use of technology in the courtrooms. How will the Clerk encourage greater use of technology in the courtrooms?

I cannot answer this question as someone who does not currently work in the circuit court.

What has been or should be done to make the system more transparent and accessible especially for people without lawyers and how would that be a change from Dorothy Brown's tenure?

Better pay and benefits that are keeping up with inflation.

What is your biggest goal if you are elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County?

To ensure transparency and improve processes that are halted by red tape.

How important is the party's slating to your candidacy?

Extremely, it takes a lot of time and effort for us to get on the ballot. It just shows how much trust the Libertarian party has in me, and for that, I am thankful.