Family's jurist torch passes to new judge in McHenry County

When James Cowlin is sworn in as McHenry County's newest judge early next month, he won't just be ascending to a prestigious post in the county's justice system.

He'll also be upholding a family tradition.

Cowlin will be the third generation of his family to put on a black judge's robe in McHenry County, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

"It makes it a little more meaningful," the 50-year-old Crystal Lake resident said of his family's ties to the bench.

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts this month formally appointed Cowlin this month to a newly created associate judge's post, making him the 16th jurist in McHenry County's 22nd Judicial Circuit.

Cowlin, who is expected to take his oath of office Dec. 7, said he is looking forward to serving his community in the same way as two prior generations of his family.

"I'll work hard, listen to both sides and be fair," he said.

Cowlin's grandfather, Henry Cowlin, served as a judge in McHenry County from 1936 to 1958. His father, also named Henry, served on the bench from 1976 to 1996.

And that's just the start of the Cowlin family's deep roots in the county's system of justice.

James Cowlin currently operates a private practice based in McHenry with his brother, Tom. Their uncle, John, is the city attorney for Crystal Lake; another uncle, William, served as McHenry County state's attorney in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The newest Judge Cowlin grew up in the Crystal Lake area and received his undergraduate degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He attended law school at Valparaiso (Ind.) University and has been practicing law since 1982.

Once sworn in, Cowlin expects, at least initially, to preside over a mix of traffic and misdemeanor cases.

Buckle up or pay up: Wearing a seat belt could save your life.

And if that somehow isn't motive enough, the McHenry County Sheriff's office this week is providing a little extra incentive: saving your money.

For the next week the sheriff's department is conducting a special campaign across the county to crack down on drivers not wearing their seat belts.

Funding for the campaign comes through an Illinois Department of Transportation grant that provides police agencies with additional money to add patrols aimed at reducing vehicle crashes and fatalities.

This week's campaign is one of five the sheriff's department will conduct over the next 12 months to focus on seat-belt use, impaired driving and speed laws.