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  • August 27, 2021 8:21 AM | Anonymous

    From: Alex Nitkin, Editor and City Hall reporter, The Daily Line (via Twitter)

    Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez says the office's website is down for maintenance, and she manages a dig at Dorothy Brown: "These upgrades are necessary to ensure that the lack of attention by the prior administration to...the website are addressed appropriately."


  • August 27, 2021 8:16 AM | Anonymous

    From: CBS News Chicago

    For 13 days, the website of the Circuit Court of Cook County clerk has been down for “maintenance.” But that wasn’t the whole story.

    According to Clerk of the Circuit Court Iris Y. Martinez, “unusual” activity was found “on its server that supports its website www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.” In a news release issued Thursday afternoon, the clerk of court site was redirected users to a “NFL-related site.” The site was not identified.

    “To be clear, we had a breach that was very limited in scope and duration,” said Patrick Hanlon with the Circuit Court Clerk’s office.

    Hanlon said on Friday, Aug 13, the website was breached. It was “caught quick,” he said, and the site was brought down.

    “There is no ransomware, no data, applications – anything impacted in regards to people’s data,” Hanlon said.

    That’s the good news.

    But CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller said the site being down is causing people across Cook County major issues.

    “The public should be able to get easy access to their own records,” Miller said.

    Miller said the website is the main access point for anyone who have an open case across any of the Circuit Court’s many divisions. Without access to the website and in turn information on their case, people could find themselves in a bind.

    “You could be missing a court date,” Miller said. “In a criminal case, if you don’t show up for a court date, there could be a warrant for your arrest.”

    Kostek: “Is there anything being done to prevent people from potentially having a default judgment happen in their case because they can’t access any information, they don’t know when their next court appearance is?”

    Hanlon: “If you have an attorney, the licensed attorney can actually go through the digital access portal for their own cases and see everything.”

    If you don’t have an attorney and want to monitor your case yourself, Hanlon said to email or call the numbers listed on the home page.

    “You give them your name or your case, they can tell you where we’re at,” he said. “Also, Zoom information is provided as well.”

    Meanwhile, an official with the clerk’s office says they have beefed up staffing on phone lines. However, many have complained about not being able to get through.

    Kostek: “Tell me one thing. Have you ramped up resources of people who are manning those phones because we have heard from several people that they’re calling, they’re waiting on the line for minutes, they’re not getting through to anyone?”

    Hanlon: “Minutes is unfortunately expected. But more than minutes is – I’d want to know that.”

    As for when the site will be back up, Hanlon said the updates could take two to three weeks to complete – but certain divisions may come online sooner than others.

    “I’d prefer security and protection, and make sure it’s done right,” he said.

    Cook County is working with the Bureau of Technology and the County’s Information Security Office, the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office with the ongoing investigation.


  • August 19, 2021 1:57 PM | Anonymous

    From: Tyler Tech

    PLANO, Texas - Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced today a five-year agreement with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) to extend and expand the partnership between the AOIC and Tyler that began in 2016 to provide the eFileIL electronic filing solution to the Illinois Courts. Over 21 million civil and criminal filings have been made online since 2016 - saving court users time and money by reducing trips to the courthouse and making paper copies. The total contract is valued at approximately $63 million over five years, a portion of which is covered by the e-Business filing fee paid by Illinois Court users in civil cases.

    Tyler will continue to provide the statewide eFileIL e-filing system through its Odyssey File & Serve™ platform, which serves the Illinois Supreme Court, Illinois Appellate Court, and Circuit Courts throughout the state. eFileIL supports electronic filing of court documents for attorneys, self-represented litigants, and state and government agencies, streamlining the case filing process and providing benefits to filers and courts. The AOIC will also continue to use the re:SearchIL™ portal, which provides a more efficient way for attorneys, judges, and other constituents to access important case records and documents at any time on any device.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reinforced the need for courts to continue to adopt technology to increase remote access. The partnership between Tyler and the AOIC gave court users the ability to file remotely and reduce traffic in courthouses. It also gave attorneys, judges and other constituents the ability to remotely view court documents through the re:SearchIL portal.

    "The Illinois Courts continue to improve access and efficiencies for the public and legal community," AOIC director Marcia M. Meis said. "We look forward to working with Tyler to enhance our current offerings and expand our statewide data reporting and analysis capabilities."

    This new agreement extends the current services provided to the AOIC through June 2026 and will expand the services Tyler provides through Tyler's Socrata® data platform. With Socrata applications including Court Insights, eFile Insights, and Probation Insights, Tyler will provide an online reporting solution that will automate the aggregation of standardized data from hundreds of local partners in order to modernize the analysis and sharing of judicial data and significantly improve access to statewide dynamic metrics on operational and mission outcomes.

    Throughout Tyler and AOIC's partnership, the legal community has seen numerous benefits including:

    • Simplified access across multiple counties
    • Significantly streamlining the case filing process
    • Reducing the need for physical handling, storage and security required by traditional filing and the amount of paper used, generating long-term savings
    • Providing a more efficient way for attorneys, judges and other constituents to access important case records and documents at any time and on any device

    "With the expansion of AOIC's services, Tyler's eFile platform continues to establish the standard for electronic filing, which now serves more than 36 million people every month," said Rusty Smith, president of Tyler's Courts & Justice Division. "We look forward to serving AOIC and the state for many years to come, helping achieve their goal of simplifying processes, and allowing courts to operate more efficiently throughout the state."


  • August 19, 2021 9:47 AM | Anonymous

    The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s website has been down after “unauthorized” activity on the site occurred Friday. They are redirecting users to 312-603-5032 for assistance.

  • August 04, 2021 7:43 AM | Anonymous

    From: Cook County Circuit Court

    Released On 08/02/2021

    Responding to the need to protect the health and safety of victims of domestic violence, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans on Monday announced efforts by the Circuit Court of Cook County to enable 24-hour, 7-day-a-week access for “emergency petitions.” 

    Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the Domestic Violence Court has remained open to hear all matters, including petitions for civil “emergency orders of protection,” “no contact” orders, and “no stalking” orders. Judges have conducted proceedings both remotely (utilizing virtual platforms such as Zoom) and in-person. Court documents filed remotely or in person before 3 p.m. are currently assigned to a judge for a hearing the same day. Even in instances when cases are filed after 3 p.m., the court has been able to offer in-person petitioners the chance to appear in court via Zoom through 5 p.m. “Zoom Rooms” or Zoom stations staffed by court personnel are available in all courthouses to allow those without computer or telephone access to participate in court proceedings. 

    However, the court recognizes that weekday, business hours may not be sufficient for some domestic violence victims who are trying to keep themselves and their families safe, and that some petitioners may need extended hours. 

    “Based on conversations with domestic violence advocates, we know that some victims arriving after hours have encountered difficulty filing an emergency petition, thus depriving them of an opportunity to have their cases heard, and potentially putting themselves and their families at risk,” Judge Evans said. “Therefore, this court will find a way for petitioners to have their cases heard at any time, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. In the interests of justice, the court must ensure that this is done in a way that is both accessible and fair to all sides in a dispute.” 

    Working with our judicial stakeholders, representatives of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Cook County Public Defender, victim advocates, and members of the private bar, the court will work to quickly and carefully develop best practices to allow for 24-hour access to emergency domestic violence proceedings. Certain court proceedings, such as hearings to determine probable cause in criminal cases, already are conducted on a 24-hour basis, and the court may be able to adapt practices used in these hearings to the Domestic Violence Court. 

    Other jurisdictions around the country already have some form of 24-hour access for emergency domestic violence proceedings, including Maricopa County, Arizona; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Los Angeles County, California; and Harris and Dallas Counties, Texas. Procedures vary – for example, Miami-Dade County has a slate of emergency judges available for after-hours matters, and emergency injunctions are valid for 15 days until a court hearing is scheduled. In Texas, orders of protection are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if the perpetrator is arrested. The Cook County Circuit Court is studying procedures in other jurisdictions to determine what will be most effective here, in compliance with Illinois statute. 

    The Circuit Court of Cook County will issue an update on its efforts to enable 24-hour emergency access to domestic violence proceedings in the coming months. 

  • August 03, 2021 5:29 PM | Anonymous

    COVID-19 Vaccination to be Required for Employees of U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Northern District of Illinois


    Consistent with President Biden's recent directive, Chief Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer has announced that all employees and contractors of the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois will be required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

    https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/_assets/_news/EmployeeVaccinationAttestationFINAL.pdf


  • July 27, 2021 5:18 AM | Anonymous

    From: 19th Judicial Circuit

    Beginning on September 7, 2021, Lake County will be relaxing social distancing requirements, and court appearances will take place in-person or by Zoom.

    Paralegals should take note of the required language on Notices of Motion: 

    “Parties wishing to attend the presentment of this motion may appear in-person in the courtroom or may attend remotely on Zoom video and telephone conferencing. A Zoom Meeting ID, Password and Link for this court call will be listed by courtroom, date and time at: https://19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/2163/Remote-Court-Hearings.”


  • July 27, 2021 5:00 AM | Anonymous
    From: Illinois Supreme Court

    The Illinois Appellate Court, First District, has adopted new rules of procedure which will become effective on July 1, 2021.

    Most of the current rules were adopted in 2004 and have been only slightly amended since then. After the Illinois court system converted to electronic filing in 2017, questions arose regarding conflicts in the existing rules in the new largely electronic filing environment. The rules also contained many archaic and outdated references.

    In late 2019, the then-chair of the First District Executive Committee, Justice Maureen Connors, requested that Justice Mathias W. Delort form a working group to draft new rules. Justice David Ellis, a former parliamentarian of the Illinois House of Representatives, and Justice Carl Walker served as judicial members of the working group. The court clerk, Thomas Palella, deputy clerk Tina Schillaci, and appellate attorney Julia Maness, also contributed their substantial expertise to the group’s work.

    The working group sent letters to the various agencies and groups involved in most of the court’s caseload: The Appellate Lawyers Association, which includes hundreds of private attorneys; and the appellate divisions of the offices of the Cook County State’s Attorney, the Cook County Public Defender, the Illinois Attorney General, the Chicago Corporation Counsel, the Cook County Public Guardian, and others requesting comments regarding the existing rules. All responded with helpful suggestions.

    A first draft of the amended rules was prepared. The working group met numerous times, painstakingly reviewing the draft for compliance with supreme court rules, conformity with existing practices, understandability, and other requirements. Due to the impact of the pandemic, the working group’s progress was delayed while the court retooled itself to function in the new post-COVID environment. The working group picked up its work again in late 2020.

    In early 2021, the First District Executive Committee reviewed the draft and made additional suggestions. Over the last few weeks, all 24 members have reviewed the draft rules and several justices requested additional changes.

    Besides the changes noted above, the new rules are markedly different from the old rules in that they group like material together and are written in simpler language. In a notable change from most redrafts of laws and court rules, the new rules are actually less verbose than the old rules. The old 40 rules have been replaced by 24 new rules, and the new rules are shorter than the old ones by about 2,200 words.

    The old rules included a rule regarding the court’s mediation program, which was numbered as Rule 37. Because Illinois Supreme Court Rule 310.1 requires that any appellate court rule regarding a mediation program be approved by the supreme court, it was decided to leave the existing text of Rule 37 in place. The mediation rule has been renumbered as Rule 21 to maintain proper sequence.

    The Court’s Reporter of Decisions reviewed the final draft and offered stylistic and grammatical edits to conform to the court’s official style manual.

    The new rules were circulated to the full court in late April, and they were approved by a unanimous vote of all 24 justices on May 5, 2021. The new rules are effective July 1, 2021. The current rules and the new rules are both available on the court’s website at https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/courts/appellate-court/districts-first-district/.

    The justices and court staff who worked on this project believe that the new rules will not only enable it to carry out its work more efficiently, but also answer procedural questions often asked by attorneys and litigants in a clear and concise manner.

  • July 27, 2021 5:00 AM | Anonymous
    From: IL Supreme Court

    Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Rule 11 and Rule 371 which alter the manner of serving certain legal documents and how a rule on confidential records is applied.

    The amendment to Rule 371 is effective immediately. The amendment to Rule 11 is effective July 1, 2021.

    Rule 11 is the “Manner of Serving Documents Other Than Process and Complaint on Parties Not in Default in the Trial and Reviewing Courts.” The amendment to Rule 11 now allows email to be used as a primary option for serving the eligible documents and removes a previous reference which directed service via the Electronic Filing Manager.

    Rule 371 directs procedures for “Confidential Records When On Review” which states sealed or otherwise confidential circuit court records closed when filed in the reviewing courts maintain the same confidentiality as applied in the circuit courts. It also provides the parties of record will “have the same level of access, if any.” The amendment to Rule 371 clarifies the confidentiality requirements to the court record “does not apply to an opinion or Rule 23 order disposing of an appeal, or to a supervisory order affecting the validity of an opinion or Rule 23 order.”

    These amendments were proposed by the Supreme Court’s e-Business Policy Advisory Board (Board). The Hon. David A. Hylla, a former judge on the Third Circuit of Illinois from 2006 to 2019, serves as the Board Chair.

  • July 15, 2021 6:57 PM | Anonymous

    From: IL Supreme Court -ATJ Commission 

    Earlier this week, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) announced the completion of its annual review of the Financial Affidavit suite of forms for use in Family & Divorce Cases.

    Patrons should immediately discontinue the use of the forms published in 2016 and begin using the newly published documents. 

    https://www.2civility.org/atj-commission-releases-updated-financial-affidavit-forms-for-family-divorce-cases/

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