Rolling Meadows judge retires after 22 years

The night before her last day on the bench, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Pamela G. Karahalios' fellow jurists made a friendly wager.

Some bet the retiring judge would let every defendant go. Others hazarded she take them all into custody. Both sides lost.

The attorneys who appear before her say Karahalios conducted herself the way she always has, dispensing justice firmly but fairly and without prejudice.

At the conclusion of Friday's call, fellow jurists, attorneys, Cook County Sheriff's deputies, court reporters, probation officers and social workers descended on Karahalios' Rolling Meadows courtroom to congratulate her and bid her fond farewell.

“It's a happy day and it's a sad day, said Judge Joseph Urso, presiding judge of Rolling Meadows' Third Municipal District where Karahalios has spent 22 of her 22½ years as a judge.

“All of us are sad to see her go, said Urso, who described Karahalios as integral to the Third District. “She did the heavy calls. She did the difficult cases with difficult-to-handle defendants.

Every time someone leaves, the district feels a loss, he said. That's especially true this time. “We're also going to lose a good friend, he said.

Their loss is her son's gain. Karahalios is retiring to spend more time with the 10-year-old, explaining, “I've never been a full-time mom before.

She will volunteer at his school, but says she will keep a hand in the law, assisting Rolling Meadows' village prosecutions.

Except for six months at the Daley Center, Karahalios a former Cook County assistant state's attorney spent her judicial career in Rolling Meadows presiding over every kind of case from felonies and misdemeanors, to civil, traffic and domestic violence matters. Felony cases were the most interesting, she says, but the trials took the greatest physical and mental toll.

Case in point, a murder case assigned to her after the appellate court ordered a retrial. The jury found the defendant guilty and Karahalios sentenced him to 70 years in prison. After she left the bench, she said she broke down in tears.

“It was the right thing to do, she said, “but it's something I'll never forget.

That and cases like it serve as a constant reminder of the responsibility judges bear, a responsibility she never took lightly.

It is never easy to send someone to jail or prison, she said, but “justice is supposed to be blind and judges must not decide based on feelings but on facts in evidence.

Caseworker Deanna Kowalski, with Cook County's department of Social Services, has appeared before Karahalios for six years.

She describes Karahalios as among the dependable and efficient in the district.

“She's always educating herself, said Kowalski, who applauded Karahalios' passion and her consistent application of the law. “She studies the statutes and stays current on the law. And she sentences accordingly.

Karahalios returned the praise, thanking courtroom personnel and claiming they made her a better judge.

“Having good people around makes our job easier, she said.

“End of an era was the constant refrain among the well-wishers which included former prosecutor turned defense attorney Tim Johns, who served with Karahalios in the state's attorney's office.

“She was always a nice person, he said and from the bench, she helped whenever she could.

“If someone deserved a break, they got it, Johns said. “If they didn't deserve a break, they didn't get it.

“I wish her a most wonderful future, said Judge Hyman Riebman, who has called Karahalios friend since their first day of law school 35 years ago.

“She's earned it, he said.