James Cowlin Elected Chief Judge McHenry County Circuit Court

Elected for a Circuit Judgeship two years ago, James Cowlin has now been elevated to Chief Judge by his fellow Circuit Court Judges.

He will replace Judge Michael Sullivan, who has served as Chief Judge since the Circuit was created in 2006.

Here is the press release about his new role:

Circuit Judge James S. Cowlin Selected as Chief Circuit Judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit of McHenry County

Future Chief Judge James Cowlin

(Woodstock, IL) On June 20, 2018, the Circuit Judges selected James S. Cowlin as Chief Judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, McHenry County, Illinois for a term commencing on December 1, 2018 and terminating on November 30, 2021.

Judge Cowlin will succeed Chief Judge Michael J. Sullivan, who has served in that capacity since December, 2006.

Judge Cowlin is a lifelong resident of McHenry County and has a distinguished family history in the legal community.

Judge Cowlin’s grandfather, Henry L. Cowlin, served as a McHenry County Judge from 1936-1958, and his father, also Henry L. Cowlin, served as a Circuit Judge in the former 19th Circuit of McHenry and Lake Counties from 1978-1996.

Chief Judge Michael Sullivan

Judge Cowlin graduated from Crystal Lake Community High School and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he completed his Bachelors of Arts degree in political science in
1979.

Judge Cowlin then received his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in
1982.

Prior to being appointed Associate Judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit, Judge Cowlin practiced law
in McHenry County with the Law Office of Donald W. Truckenbrod, Truckenbrod & Cowlin, and
Cowlin & Cowlin law firms.

Judge Cowlin was appointed to the position of Associate Judge in 2007 and was reappointed by the Circuit Judges of the 22nd Judicial Circuit in 2011 and 2015.

During his tenure as Associate Judge, Judge Cowlin presided over Misdemeanor Jury cases, Family Law cases, Mortgage Foreclosures and other Civil matters, as well as Traffic and Misdemeanor cases.

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What will change when Judge Cowlin takes over from Judge Sullivan.

Judge Sullivan said that cameras in the courtroom were in the future.

Making such an announcement would be a good way for Judge Cowlin to demonstrate that the local court system is joining the trend of courts nationwide.

Another suggestion made by a McHenry County Blog commenter would have lawyers and judges typing orders so (1) people could read them and (2) making such orders available on the internet quicker.

Cowlin could also spearhead enhancing the sound systems in courtrooms so not only the recording machines could hear what lawyers and judges say, but people in the courtrooms could, too.

Much of this is probably already in the sights of the local judiciary, but some improvements will take money and the McHenry County Board holds the purse strings.

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See the mock seal that Circuit Clerk Bill Kays unveiled at the start of the 22nd Circuit here.


Comments

James Cowlin Elected Chief Judge McHenry County Circuit Court — 10 Comments

  1. A long dynasty of corruption.

    Cowlin was my lawyer before he was a lazy judge.

    He got a fat retainer to start a case, but before he even filed anything and because of his laziness (4 months) I took matters into my own hands and got the deadbeat I was going to sue to pay me up on a payment plan.

    When I left a message for sleepy Cowlin that I did the whole thing myself, he quickly called me back (he wouldn’t return calls when I left messages to to find out if he did a damned thing) and said my retainer was non-refundable.

    That’s when I figured out what he was.

  2. Bunch of anonymous cowards slandering a good man. Give me your case names, your leads, and I’ll investigate and publish results. Or, just stay in your dank, safe little holes and rant.

  3. @Martin

    +1 here. These geniuses sound like criminal defendant’s who were held responsible for their crimes. Cubfan sounds like a loser. If he’s so damn good, how come he didn’t collect from the deadbeat (if there even was one) before running to the courts to solve a problem that was likely of his own making?

    Congrats to Judge Cowlin. Don’t pay attention to the haters.

  4. I have never left Judge Cowlin’s courtroom with an unfair unjust or wrongful decision.

  5. Always surprised at the anonymous sniping that goes on here, said no one ever. So brave this group is, so very brave.

    Cowlin, great judge, he’ll make a great Chief.

  6. Interesting link to your mock seal article. Was that actually an eerie foreshadowing?

  7. It’s funny how people rant about N. Korea’s tyrannical dynasty, but little ones on a much smaller scale of autocracy like the Cowlin judge-family or the Miller township family get away with accolades by our own little establishment ruining things right here in McH Co.!

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