CWB Chicago is reporting on Twitter within the past hour that First Municipal District Presiding Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. has ordered judges in the First Municipal District to have in-person hearings at least twice a week starting July 5 and to "100% in person beginning August 2."
A memo has been sent to the judges. CWB has a screen grab of a portion of it. I have no further information, at this point, beyond what CWB is reporting.
More, presumably, to come.
I have seen the memo, Jack. I can appreciate if you don't want to post this comment, but I wouldn't lie or engage in hyperbole about its contents.
ReplyDeleteIn short, First Municipal is returning to in-person court hearings at least 2-days a week, effective July 6, 2021. Judges have until June 25 to report to Judge Wright which 2 days they intend to report for in-person hearings. For judges who plan to work from home on those other 3 days, they must submit written reports -- on the Monday of each week -- specifying which cases they "handled and disposed of each day."
Oh, and here is the kicker, everybody returns to full-time in-court appearances on August 2, 2021. No provision for Zooming from home (whether it be your residence in Cook, or your summer home in Wisconsin, Michigan or wherever).
That sound you hear is the stampede from Wisconsin rushing to submit their retirement papers to the AOIC.
Everyone will be policing each other and dropping dimes if they don't come to work. And no, sitting on a stool across the street at the Dearborn doesn't count for reporting for duty.
Uh oh, Evans is finally making them return. Better get the cattle prods ready because there is nothing tougher to wrangle than a bunch of judicial divas. There is no way that First Municipal will be compelled to return while other Divisions/Districts get a free pass. Get ready to see the retirement papers being mailed into the AOIC from Florida, California, Michigan and Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteRolling rolling rolling, get them doggies moving, get them doggies moving, rawhide!
More memos are coming. Don't doubt it for a second.
ReplyDeleteYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteToo little, too late, Tim. They are coming for your vacancies. You had a chance to justify your headcount and you failed to do so. With the new Supreme Court boundaries being redone based on population shifts, how long do you really think it will take before Lake, Will, DuPage and all of the rest start peeling off judges from Cook?
ReplyDeleteTimes Up!
Maybe Wright and Evans should read the Justice Burke memo, about remote hearings improving access to justice, for lawyers and litigants alike.
ReplyDelete