Neither Probation Chief Nor Chief Judge to Address Civil Rights Lawsuit

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced through a spokeswoman he will not address the civil rights lawsuit filed against his probation chief.

by Lee Williams

Neither Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans nor his acting-Chief Probation Officer Jesus Reyes will comment about the civil rights lawsuit filed today, in which Reyes is a named defendant.

“Please be advised that neither the Chief Judge nor Mr. Reyes may comment because the rules that govern judicial conduct in Illinois state that judges should abstain from public comment about matters that currently are or may come before any court. This rule also applies to their employees,” Evan’s spokeswoman Rose Mary Marasso said in an e-mail.

Marasso would not say why the Chief Judge never responded to calls, e-mails or an open letter seeking his comments about the probation department, which were placed months before today’s lawsuit was filed.

Reyes, Marasso said in the e-mail, will be represented at taxpayer expense.

“Both Mr. Reyes and the Adult Probation Department will be represented by the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney in this matter,” she wrote.