With Dorothy Brown deciding not to run for a fifth term, Cook County will have a new circuit court clerk this fall for the first time in 20 years. And legal advocates have some recommendations for whoever wins that seat in November.

Illinois State Sen. Iris Martinez has won the Democratic primary for clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court. Martinez topped the four-way race with 31.4% of the vote. 

In August, Dorothy Brown announced she would not seek reelection as clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, opening up her seat to four Democratic hopefuls. They join “Chicago Tonight” for a candidate forum.

Federal prosecutors said that by lying to a grand jury, 58-year-old Beena Patel “threw a wrench in the wheels of justice and ground them to a halt.”

Long the subject of federal scrutiny, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown explains why she will not seek re-election.

In announcing her endorsement of Amara Enyia, Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown called Enyia “a breath of fresh air” that will give Chicagoans hope.

The Cook County circuit court clerk talks about her surprise run for mayor of Chicago.

Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown joins the race for mayor. A federal appeals court says the federal government may not withhold funding from so-called sanctuary cities. And the U.S. Supreme Court denies an appeal from Rod Blagojevich.

In 2018, the notion that one of Cook County’s most important offices is still using systems that Charles Dickens would recognize would seem to be a problem. Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown joins us.

Kim Foxx has soundly defeated her Republican challenger for Cook County State’s Attorney, while Dorothy Brown wins a fifth term as Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. 

The candidates for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk square off and talk integrity, amnesty and modernization in our first candidate forum.

“It's important that we have a Clerk of Court that will protect court records for ALL the people, not just for the privileged few.” Learn more about this candidate.

Check election results and analysis of top local and statewide contests, and find out how many early ballots were cast this year in Chicago.

Incumbent Dorothy Brown declared victory on Tuesday night, winning 47 percent of the vote with 95 percent of precincts reporting.

Dorothy Brown faces the Democrats vying to replace her in next week's Democratic primary.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County is the keeper of the records of the Court. The Clerk is responsible for serving the court, the legal profession and the general public by recording court decisions and events; handling fines, bail bonds and other financial transactions; and supporting the court system with record storage, microfilming, automation and other services.