Administrative Director Declares Illinois Associate Judge Appointed in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Thomas E. St. Jules as an associate judge of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. St. Jules received his undergraduate degree in 2005 from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa and his Juris Doctor in 2008 from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. St. Jules is currently affiliated with Llamas St. Jules LLP in Aurora, Illinois.

Evading Trial

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

When your client fails to show for trial, judges can conduct one in absentia, but they are obligated to ensure that statutory requirements are met before commencing, notes Charles Golaszewski in his March Illinois Bar Journal article, “Evading Trial.” Golaszewski states prosecutors and defense attorneys must be prepared to argue whether a trial in absentia is warranted in light of the statutory requirements and the circumstances of the case. But if the judge decides to start the trial without the defendant, both parties will need to adjust their trial strategies.

A Cook County judge, on March 20, will decide whether to grant a new trial to a Chicago man who decades ago was convicted within 45 minutes in a case that drew significant concerns from an Illinois appeals court. 

From: 
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A Joliet police detective is seeking to use the report of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office investigation of the police department in his federal racial discrimination lawsuit.

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Shaw Local News Network

The state of Illinois is looking to dismiss the case that the U.S. Department of Justice brought against the state over migrant sanctuary policies.

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Advantage News

The Small Business Administration will move its Chicago office over the city’s “sanctuary” policies, it was announced Thursday.

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NBC 5 Chicago

An Illinois man accused of killing seven people and wounding 48 others at a 2022 Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago pleaded guilty to all charges Monday, but he did not sign his name to a trial waiver.

From: 
ABA Journal