For the first time in more than two decades, Cook County has sworn in a new chief judge.
Charles Beach took the oath of office Monday morning, just months after defeating eight-time incumbent Judge Timothy Evans to assume control of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems.
“Our court is not merely a collection of buildings and procedure; it is the vital mechanism through which our community resolves its deepest conflicts and upholds its most cherished ideals,” Beach said Monday during his investiture ceremony.
“Our challenge is to ensure that this mechanism operates with principle and true humanity.”
Beach takes over an office currently under fire for its management of the county’s electronic monitoring system. Beach did not directly address ongoing policy issues in his speech Monday but left the audience with thi message: “The work begins now.”
Beach, 55, was first elected to the bench in 2017 and served as a supervisor in both the traffic and pretrial division, where he helped usher in Illinois’ pretrial detention system following the end of cash bail.
At Monday’s ceremony, fellow judges lauded Beach for his fairness and integrity in the courtroom.
“Our new chief wants to lead the Circuit Court of Cook County, not for aggrandizement or accolades, but for the same reason that he became a judge in the first place; to make our court system better today and in the future for the people who work in it and who are served by it,” Judge Alfredo Maldonado said Monday. “Given the looming challenges ahead, his leadership begins at just the right time.”
Beach was elected over Evans in September, receiving 57% of votes cast by circuit court judges. Evans was first elected to the seat in 2001.
Before becoming a judge, Evans spent nearly 18 years an alderperson representing the city’s 4th Ward, and served as City Council floor leader for Mayor Harold Washington.
During his 24-year tenure, Evans led the office through major changes in the court system, including the end of cash bail, the expansion of restorative justice programs and the creation of a separate domestic violence courthouse.
Earlier this year, Evans’ office assumed full control of the county’s electronic monitoring program, previously run by Sheriff Tom Dart.
State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke condemned the move, questioning the chief judge’s ability to safely administer the program. Criticism is mounting again, after just last month, a man on electronic monitoring — who had repeatedly violated the conditions of his home detention — allegedly set fire to a woman on a CTA Blue Line train. The woman was critically wounded and the man, Lawrence Reed, has been charged with terrorism.
In response to the incident, Evans promised a review of all actions taken in the case “to ensure procedures were followed and to identify opportunities for improvement.”
But the job of enacting any change will now fall to Beach, who is expected to announce a leadership team and implementation plan for his priorities in the coming weeks.