$10,000 bail for law clerk accused of acting as Cook County judge

Rhonda Crawford - who is running for a Cook County judicial vacancy in next month's election - made a brief, first court appearance at the George Leighton Criminal Courthouse before Cook County Circuit Judge LeRoy Martin Jr., who allowed her to remain free pending trial.

Crawford was indicted Wednesday, accused of impersonating a Cook County judge, according to her attorney, Victor Henderson.

No new details about the case came out in court Friday because, just as the prosecutor, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Tom Simpson, was about to read a summary of the allegations Crawford faces, the judge halted the proceedings, saying Crawford's attorney had waived the routine reading of those details.

Crawford, who is running for the first judicial subcircuit vacancy, said last month she regretted the incident "the day it happened" but said she never proclaimed herself a judge.

On Thursday, Henderson blamed the decision by Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's office to charge Crawfoird on Democratic politics.

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