COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Cook County judge was removed from the bench Wednesday amid allegations she let an attorney don her judicial robe and hear cases.
The attorney, Rhonda Crawford, is in the running to become a Cook County judge this fall.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the removal of Judge Valerie E. Turner on Wednesday, saying Turner has been temporarily reassigned to non-judicial duties until further notice.
Judge Turner is accused of letting Crawford, a law clerk in Judge Evans' office, adjudicate at least two cases from the bench while wearing a judicial robe in Turner's suburban Markham courtroom.
Crawford has been suspended without pay pending an internal investigation, Evans' office said in a news release Wednesday. Crawford makes $56,961 a year.
“The public’s confidence in the judiciary is the cornerstone of our system of justice," Judge Evans said in a statement, "and I have taken the steps necessary to preserve that confidence. Because the investigation is pending, I believe it is inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
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