Chicago criminal court building to be named after 99-year-old judge
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February 23, 2012
Chicago, Illinois: Chicago's criminal courts building will soon be titled "The Honorable George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building" in honor of retired Judge George Leighton. Leighton, now 99, began his career as a defense attorney at that very building. As a black lawyer in 1940s Chicago, he endured his share of trials, but he continued to work hard, taking cases all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. After working in private practice and for the Attorney General's office, his career led him to judgeships on the Cook County Circuit Court, the Illinois Appellate Court and, finally, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[1]
Leighton responded to the honor humbly. "I question whether I deserve all of this. To have my name at 26th and California on the building where I began practicing law without being paid a fee. You know, there’s a whole lot to it," he explained to the Chicago Sun-Times.[2]
The measure to name the building was introduced to the Cook County Board on Feb. 15, 2012 and is expected to be approved in March. Tim Evans, Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court and a former student of Leighton's, stated, "[Leighton] is an icon in the justice and civil rights community. I’m not at all surprised he would be recognized in that way."[2]
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois
State courts:
Illinois Supreme Court • Illinois Appellate Court • Illinois Circuit Court
State resources:
Courts in Illinois • Illinois judicial elections • Judicial selection in Illinois
