Plan to trim Rolling Meadows courthouse hours rejected

Cook County's chief judge denied a request by the sheriff to close suburban courthouses at 6 p.m. weekdays and consolidate Saturday bond court.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans cited public safety, due process and court administration as reasons for rejecting Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's proposal which would have affected courthouses in Rolling Meadows, Skokie, Maywood and Bridgeview.

Evans expressed sympathy with the budgetary constraints facing Dart's office, but indicated the sheriff's plans raise "serious issues of public safety."

"I would ask that, rather than reduce the times and places that court is in session, you pursue other remedies to assist your office that do not infringe on the administration of justice," said Evans in a prepared statement issued Wednesday.

Dart proposed the changes to save the county money, said department spokesman Steve Patterson, adding they would free up sheriff's officers to work in courtrooms currently understaffed as a result of a hiring freeze.

"With current staffing, it's not a matter of if something is going to happen in a courtroom but when," said Patterson in a prepared statement. "It has been years since the county funded a new class of court deputies and we haven't been able to fill vacant positions. Yet there are more courtrooms to secure now than ever before."

Committee members, comprised of presiding judges from the county's various divisions and districts, convened to consider Dart's suggestions raised several concerns. Requiring suburban police departments to transport defendants to Chicago or Markham for Saturday hearings could compromise public safety by reducing the number of officers available to respond to emergencies, they said. Additionally, they noted, holding a defendant through the weekend to avoid straining police department personnel, could impede the defendant's right to a prompt hearing. By law, a defendant is entitled to a probable cause hearing within 48 hours of his or her arrest. The committee also found eliminating Saturday bond court at four districts could impact a defendant's ability to post bond in a timely manner if family members can't get to Chicago or Markham. Lastly, they said, closing courthouses early could disrupt probation meetings, victim impact panels and traffic safety school among other programs.