Araceli De La Cruz: In her own words

Araceli De La Cruz is a candidate for the countywide O'Brien vacancy. Her punch number is 182.

Hello readers, thank you for your engagement and interest in my candidacy.

After a unanimous recommendation by the judicial screening committee of Justice Mary Jane Theis, I was appointed as a Circuit Court Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court and sworn in on January 6, 2022. I am currently assigned to the Traffic Division, presiding over minor and misdemeanor traffic offenses. Six months into this service, the novelty has not worn off nor do I anticipate that it ever will. It is truly an honor to serve in this capacity and that is why I am running in the June 28th primary to continue this service with an enduring level of diligence, dedication, and enthusiasm for many years to come.

I am the appointed candidate in the O’Brien vacancy, my ballot number is 182 and I am the only candidate in my race to have been found Qualified, Recommended or Highly Recommended by all of the bar associations. I have campaigned throughout Cook County for many months to not only share my candidacy, but more importantly to engage with voters across all communities and learn from them how they view our justice system and what they expect from those who administer justice. I keep their stories, perspectives, and expectations in mind as I cultivate my judicial philosophy which is rooted in listening intently, being fair and always maintaining integrity.

For over twenty years, I worked in a variety of public sectors and take great pride in having served crime victims, public transit riders, public consumers, and public-school children throughout my career. I bring my depth and breadth of diverse legal experiences as a trusted and ethical public servant with me onto the bench.

I am a lifelong Albany Park resident in Chicago where I reside to this day with my husband and our two teenagers, my parents are still in my childhood home across the street. Academic scholarships enabled me to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago where I studied English Literature and Political Science. While attending The John Marshall Law School, I competed in Mock Trial, was on the Dean’s List, and earned the Elmer Kissane award for my commitment to public service. I am an active member of various bar associations, including the Chicago Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, the Hispanic Lawyer’s Association of Illinois, and the Puerto Rican Bar Association. I am also a member of the Illinois Judges Association, the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Illinois Latino Judges Association.

During law school, I worked full time as a Victim-Witness Specialist with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, helping victims and witnesses navigate the criminal justice system. Today as a judge, I continue to ensure that all who come before me are heard and have access to fair and ethical judicial practices.

Prior to my appointment to the bench, I volunteered for over ten years as an executive board member for Casa Central, a large non-profit social service agency in Humboldt Park. I served on various board committees including the Executive, Leadership and Governance, and Head Start committees. I was also active in my home community, serving as the Board Secretary for the 39th Ward Democratic Organization.

I began my legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney, where I honed my litigation skills for over eight years. I tried misdemeanor and felony jury trials, over one hundred bench trials, and hundreds of evidentiary hearings. I handled matters in the Traffic Division, Child Protection Unit, Narcotics, Felony Review, Felony Preliminary Hearings, and the Special Grand Jury where I indicted homicide and sexual assault cases. While in the Special Prosecution section of the Narcotics Unit, I managed vertical prosecution of narcotics cases. I also specialized in child victim sexual assault cases.

During my time as the Chief Safety and Security Officer at the Chicago Transit Authority, I ensured regulatory compliance with state and federal safety and security standards. As the Chief of General Prosecutions at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations, I managed prosecuting attorneys and ensured the protection of consumers while holding service providers accountable to the state’s professional rules and regulations. In this capacity I also gained experience in working with pro se respondents.

In my last role, I served as the General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer for Acero Schools. I safeguarded the educational and privacy interests of over 6,900 public school children, ensured compliance with the collective bargaining agreement between Acero’s schools and over 500 members of the Chicago Teacher’s Union, managed a legal team and directed outside counsel on any litigation matters.

My extensive and diverse legal background is serving me well on the bench and distinguishes me as a candidate. I am an experienced litigator with proven leadership and legal management skills.

In further demonstration of my dedicated countywide campaigning, I am proud to have numerous endorsements from across a broad spectrum of political, community and labor organizations. These endorsements include the Cook County Democratic Party, the Chicago Federation of Labor, nine individual unions, PersonalPAC and various community organizations. The full list of endorsements can be found at www.judgedelacruz.com.

Again, I thank you for your interest and hope to earn your vote now during early voting or on June 28th.