Longtime jurist, former village president retires after 44 years of public service
If you've been to the Rolling Meadows courthouse in recent years, you may have encountered Third District Presiding Judge William O. Maki - but not necessarily on the bench.
Most likely you passed the judge, not knowing who he was, as he inconspicuously strolled the courthouse halls almost daily. Stopping periodically to chat with an attorney, a sheriff's deputy, or other courthouse employee, Maki made sure the third district ran smoothly.
Friday, that responsibility falls to another judge. Maki, 69, is retiring after a legal career spanning more than four decades, including 25 years on the bench, the last 6½ as Rolling Meadows' presiding judge.
"It's been a good and satisfying experience," said Maki, an avid sports fan and Marriott Theatre subscriber who served two terms as an Arlington Heights trustee and one term as village president before becoming a judge.
Ensuring honest, fair proceedings and maintaining a smooth-running courthouse were his priorities. One way to accomplish that was to see how it ran firsthand. Mostly, he stayed out of the courtrooms.
"I don't want (judges) to feel I'm looking over their shoulders," he said of fellow judges he described as "hardworking, dedicated individuals."
Adopting an open-door policy, his motto was "I'm here if you need me."
Maki never interfered with court procedures, "but he made sure things were running well in the courthouse," said Cook County Judge Joel Greenblatt, who presides over third district domestic violence cases.
"He employed a reasoned approach to solving the problem big or small ... we could always count on him," Greenblatt said.
Maki's commitment to public service took root shortly after he graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1973. Taking a job as a prosecutor under then-Cook County State's Attorney Bernard Carey, Maki initially tried misdemeanors at the Richard J. Daley Center. He moved to the felony divisions, first at George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago and later at the Fourth Municipal District Courthouse in Maywood.
He left the state's attorney's office in 1978 to open a private practice specializing in general litigation and real estate in Mount Prospect with fellow prosecutor Robert Best. In 1989, the Chicago native opened a solo practice in Arlington Heights, where he lived with his wife and two children.
His interest in neighborhood issues prompted then-village President James T. Ryan to appoint him to the planning commission in 1978. Three years later, he was elected village trustee.
"I was a real novice," Maki said as he recalled homemade yard signs he used to promote his campaign. Re-elected in 1985, he ran for village president in 1989, replacing Ryan, who served 14 years.
His initial challenge consisted of managing the fallout from an embezzlement scandal involving a former treasurer. His proudest accomplishment was more mundane - repaving miles of residential streets that were in disrepair.
Maki's involvement with village politics ended in 1992 with his appointment to Cook County circuit court, which marked the fulfillment of a long-held dream. He served in the juvenile, felony, law and chancery divisions until 2011, when Chief Judge Timothy Evans named him to replace retiring Judge Joseph Urso in the third district.
Maki's integrity and commitment to public service, and judicial background and temperament made him an ideal candidate, Evans said.
"He had an open-door policy that made it possible for judges under him to feel comfortable," Evans said.
Shared goals included establishing a district drug court, which Maki worked to finance through private sector grants.
"That's the stage Bill has set," Evans said. "The person who follows him will be able to pick up right where he left off."