Twelve candidates for Cook County judge will get a head start on their judicial careers in the Cook County Circuit Court, after they were appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court.
All of the new appointees will take the bench, for now, under temporary terms that will end Dec. 2. Ten of the appointments will be effective April 29. Two of the appointments will begin June 11.
All of the candidates either ran unopposed in the March Democratic Party primary election, or won their contests. All will run unopposed in the November general election, meaning that, unless something causes them to drop out, they will take the oath of office as elected judges beginning in December.
According to a statement from the Illinois Supreme Court, the appointments were made to address a shortage of judges needed to handle ever growing caseloads in Cook County's courts.
Among those appointed to the bench this month was former Cook County Assistant State's Attorney James V. Murphy. Murphy was famously wrongly blamed by outgoing Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx and her leadership team for the mishandling of a bond court hearing in connection with the death of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old who was killed by Chicago Police after he fled when confronted by officers who spotted him with another man shooting at passing cars.
Murphy blamed the controversy on Risa Lanier, one of Foxx's top aides, and others in Foxx's leadership team. He was ultimately cleared. Murphy later resigned, submitting a scathing resignation letter blasting Foxx for her lack of leadership in the office.
Murphy won a contest for the Democratic nomination for a seat on the bench in the county's 10th Subcircuit.
Foxx opted not to seek reelection this year. Former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke won the Democratic primary election to replace Foxx, and will face Republican Robert Fioretti in November.
Others appointed to the bench include:
Nadine Jean Wichern, who won the Democratic nomination in the 20th Subcircuit. Wichern most recently has served as chief of the civil appeals division in the Illinois Attorney General's office since 2015.
Audrey Cosgrove, who has served as general counsel for the Illinois Lottery since 2019, as well as holding high ranking legal posts within the Illinois Department of Labor and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Cosgrove won the Democratic nomination in the 11th Subcircuit.
Pablo F. DeCastro was appointed to serve as a countywide judge, replacing former Judge James P. Flannery, who died. DeCastro won the Democratic nomination for the post. He has worked in private legal practice for 28 years, most recently in solo practice at his own firm.
Griselda Vega Samuel was appointed to serve in the 14th Subcircuit. She has served most recently as Midwest Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a progressive public interest organization that sought to represent voting rights for Latinos, among other causes. Samuel notably was on the legal team from MALDEF that unsuccessfully challenged Illinois' latest state legislative district maps, saying they discriminated against Latinos as part of Democrats' push to increase their political power overall in the state.
Bridget Colleen Duignan was appointed in the 19th Subcircuit, after securing the Democratic nomination. She will be one of two taking office in June. She serves as managing partner at the personal injury firm, Latherow & Duignan.
Rivanda Doss Beal was appointed in the 17th Subcircuit. She ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She most recently has worked in private practice, but had served in the Cook County State's Attorney's office from 1994 until she retired in 2021 as a Supervising Assistant State's Attorney.
Jeffrey Chrones was reappointed to serve in the 18th Subcircuit. Chrones has served as a Cook County Associate Judge since 2018. He ran unopposed for the seat in the March Democratic primary.
Michael Chvatal ran unopposed in the 4th Subcircuit. He most recently worked in private practice at the Law Office of Michael Chvatal, rounding out 20 years of work as an attorney. He served in public practice in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office from 2006-2009.
Lloyd James Brooks was appointed in the 17th Subcircuit, where he ran unopposed in March. He has served as a Cook County judge since 2018, first as a Cook County Circuit Judge from 2018-2020, and then an associate judge since 2021. Brooks worked for 20 years in private practice as co-founder of the Consumer Legal Group, among other firms.
Stephanie Kathryn Miller was reappointed to serve in the 14th Subcircuit. She will be one of two whose terms begin in June. She has served as an associate judge since 2017, after working in the Cook County State's Attorney's office from 2001-2016. She ran unopposed in March.
John A. Fairman was reappointed to serve in the 15th Subcircuit. He has served as an associate judge since 2018. Fairman had worked in private practice at the firm of Lee & Fairman and in public practice at the Cook County State's Attorney's office. He ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the seat.