The Cook County Criminal Justice Committee met on September 23, 2026, at 6:15 PM. The meeting opened with public testimony from six speakers who described personal experiences with domestic violence, family court proceedings, and alleged judicial misconduct. Following public comments, the committee approved minutes from a prior meeting and unanimously adopted a resolution requiring regular progress updates on recommendations from the Chicago Cook County Task Force to Reduce Violence Against Women.
Anaya seconded by Commissioner Scott. All those in favor of adjournment, please say I we're adjourned. Thank you. Now I would like to call the Cook County Criminal Justice Committee to order. Do we still have a uh quorum? Chairman at your recess meeting, you still have a quorum. Uh Commissioner Laurie is labeled as uh excused on your roll call. Chair, can I also be added? I I think I missed the roll call for that one. Please add Commissioner Nye officially done so thank you. Is there any uh anybody on the mote? Commissioner Gaynor has uh, so no need for remote participation. Um call for public speakers. Thank you. Evelyn Romo, Envision Community Services. Evelyn, are you here? Yes, yeah, please come to the public speaking mic. After Evelyn in this order, we have Zoe Lee, Jessica Jackson, Jackie Samfo, George Blake Moore, and Eddie Ingalls, Arlena Criley. Please. We have all members present. Yes, please begin. Hi, hello. My name is Evelyn. Um I actually uh was in the domestic violence situation. Last year, um the case, the domestic violence court thing was finished on uh February of this year, the 16th. Um justice, you gotta be. My kid's father went in ahead and filed a restraining order against me and my children. Um he's supposed to not know where I live, and he found out where I live at. Um thus being said, he has created a lot of a lot of financial hardship for myself and my family. Uh the two kids that I do share with him. Um, I just think that it's very unfair that when I did call the cops when he was um threatening me, stalking me, I called the the police officers, letting them know he's here, he's here, um showing them, and they just looked around. Um they're like, we can't do nothing because we don't see him, even though I showed him exactly where he was at. Um he got away with so much stuff. Um he left me with a lot of debt. Um he damaged my vehicle. He stalked me on my job where I had to leave my job. Um I was working at SGA Youth and Family Services. Um I had to leave my job because he kept stalking me there, telling me that he I was never at work, or I had to leave my car there. Um there's plenty of video footage where he damaged my car, my brand new car. Uh I want to say that he damaged it with at least $7,000 worth of damages. Um had to leave my job, look for a different job. He found me at that job as well. Um I moved to addresses, he was not supposed to know where I live at, and he found out where I currently live at. The network um of domestic violence did help me with only a thousand dollars just to get myself into the door, but I still had to pay um the deposit, the move in fees, XYZ things, and I was only covered for one month while I was still looking for work. I did uh try to apply for a rental assistance program. Uh obviously it's full, it's packed, I cannot get any assistance with that. Um as far as that, this individual is not helping me with my kids. Um he's free and willing, he works two jobs, and he's going to school, but he cannot afford to pay anything for his children that do reside with me. And this order of protection that I do have here, um, I was supposedly served, but they served the wrong individual. They served my neighbor.