Evelyn Clay
Evelyn B. Clay was a judge in the Cook Judicial Circuit Court criminal division. She was elected to this position in 1996 and was retained in 2002, 2008, and 2014. In 2009, she was appointed supervising judge.[1] Clay retired in August 2017.[2]
Biography
Clay received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina Central University, her MLS degree from the University of Maryland, and her J.D. from the Creighton University School of Law.[1] Clay spent one year as a law clerk for attorney W. James Brown and then 15 years as an assistant state's attorney in Cook County before her judicial election in 1996.[3]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2007: Chairperson's Award, Illinois Judicial Council
- 2004: Kenneth E. Wilson Award "For Extraordinary Dedication and Commitment in Serving Justice and the Community," Cook County Bar Association
Associations
- Member, Illinois Judges Association
- Member, Illinois Judicial Council[1]
Elections
2014
Clay was retained to the Cook Judicial Circuit Court with 77.9 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014. [4]
Evaluations
The Illinois State Bar Association rated Evelyn Clay as Recommended for retention in 2014.[5]
2008
Clay was retained for another term in 2008.
Chicago Tribune asks readers to vote "no" on retention
The Chicago Tribune urged readers to vote "no" on retention for Judge Clay, stating: "Take your pick. The Chicago Council of Lawyers says Clay is indecisive, 'weak on the law' and can't always control her courtroom. The Chicago Bar Association rapped her for making 'insensitive comments from the bench.'"[6]
Approach to the law
Clay stated,
| “ | I believe that justice inevitably occurs where the law is fairly and impartially applied to the facts.[1][7] | ” |
Noteworthy cases
In November of 2009, Clay presided over the jury trial of a defendant charged with eleven separate capital murder cases which were consolidated for the purpose of a single trial. This was the largest serial murder trial since in Illinois since John Wayne Gacy.[1]
In November of 2012, Clay presided over the jury trial of an attorney charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Information submitted on Judgepedia's biographical submission form on 12/11/2012
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Cook County Judge Evelyn Clay set to retire this summer," June 23, 2017
- ↑ Cook County Judges, "Judge Evelyn B. Clay biography"
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "List of judges seeking retention in the November 4, 2014 general election," accessed May 8, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Bar Association, "Judicial Evaluations," October 2014
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Choices for judge," October 15, 2008
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
