Timothy C. Evans

Last updated
Thelma Evans
​
(m. 1969)​
Tim Evans
Timothy C. Evans Crop.jpg
Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court
Assumed office
September 2001
Children2
Education Illinois State University
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BS)
John Marshall Law School (JD)

Timothy C. Evans (born June 1, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, former alderman and the current Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. Evans is noted as the first African-American Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. [1] A graduate of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Evans was first elected to the bench in 1992, and was selected by his fellow judges as Chief Judge in 2001.

Contents

Biography

Early life and education

Born the middle of three children in Hot Springs, Arkansas to George and Tiny Marie Evans, his family relocated to Chicago sometime during the great migration. Having attended elementary school in Arkansas, Evans attended Hirsch Metropolitan High School; graduating in 1961. [2] After high school, Evans went on to study at Illinois State University, [3] and later transferred to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he graduated with a B.S. in zoology. Evans earned his J.D. degree at John Marshall Law School in 1969 and joined the Democratic Party.

Alderman (1973–1991)

Evans was elected alderman of the city's south side 4th Ward in a November 27, 1973 special election [4] to fill the vacancy created six months earlier by the death of Ald. Claude Holman on June 1, 1973. [5] Evans defeated Hattie B. Kay Williams, a 50-year-old executive of the Girl Scouts and civil rights activist by a vote of 6,784 to 3,136. [6] [7] [8] [9]

An ally of mayors Daley, Bilandic, and Byrne, Evans served as floor leader and Chicago City Council Finance Chair during Harold Washington's mayoral administration. Following Washington's death in 1987, Evans sought to fill Washington's unexpired term. The Chicago City Council voted to choose Alderman Eugene Sawyer to serve in the interim. Evans continued to serve as alderman.

In the 1989 special election, Evans ran as an independent candidate to fill the rest of Washington's term as mayor. Evans received 482,000 votes but lost to Richard M. Daley, son of former multi-term mayor Richard J. Daley. [10]

After 18 years in office, in 1991 Evans was defeated for re-election as alderman in the 4th Ward by Toni Preckwinkle. [11]

Cook County Circuit Judge (1992-present)

In 1992, Evans was elected to the bench as judge of Cook County Circuit Court. [1] [12] [13] In September 2001, Evans was elected as the first black Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court succeeding Donald O'Connell. [1] [14] [15]

Personal

Evans met his wife during his time at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. [16] Evans was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2010.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Orr</span> American Democratic politician

David Duvall Orr is an American Democratic politician who served as the Cook County Clerk from 1990 to 2018. Orr previously served as alderman for the 49th ward in Chicago City Council from 1979 to 1990. He briefly served as acting Mayor of Chicago from November 25 to December 2, 1987, following the death of Mayor Harold Washington. Orr retired from the office of Cook County Clerk in 2018, opting not to run for an eighth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Vrdolyak</span> American politician and lawyer

Edward Robert Vrdolyak, also known as "Fast Eddie", is a former American politician and lawyer. He was a longtime Chicago alderman and the head of the Cook County Democratic Party until 1987 when he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago on the Illinois Solidarity Party ticket. He subsequently ran again in 1989 on the Republican Party ticket. He was a prominent opponent of Harold Washington and the de facto leader of the so-called "Vrdolyak 29" that opposed and blocked many of Washington's measures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Hairston</span> American politician

Leslie Hairston is an American politician who was alderperson of the 5th ward of the City of Chicago; she was elected in 1999. Hairston is a Hyde Park native. As alderman, she represents the ward in the Chicago City Council along with representatives from the 49 other Chicago wards. She was re-elected in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward M. Burke</span> American politician from Chicago

Edward Michael Burke is an American politician found guilty of racketeering, bribery, and extortion who served as the alderman of Chicago's 14th ward from 1969 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1969, and represented part of the city's Southwest Side. Chair of Council's Committee on Finance, Burke had been called Chicago's "most powerful alderman" by the Chicago Sun-Times. Burke was named one of the "100 Most Powerful Chicagoans" by Chicago Magazine, describing him as "[o]ne of the last of the old-school Chicago Machine pols."

Latasha R. Thomas is an American politician and former alderman of the 17th Ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Thomas was appointed to the position of alderman by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2000, subsequently elected outright in a 2001 special election, and was re-elected in 2003, 2007, and 2011. During her tenure as alderman, Thomas worked to get many of the schools within her ward renovated. In the fall of 2014 Thomas announced that she would not seek re-election in 2015 as alderman, following the announcement that a former employee would run in her place.

Isaac "Ike" Sims Carothers is a former alderman of the 29th Ward on the far west side of the City of Chicago. He was first elected in 1999. He resigned in 2010 after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook County Democratic Party</span> Political party in Illinois, US

The Cook County Democratic Party is an American county-level political party organization which represents voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s. It relies on an organizational structure of a ward or township committeeperson to elect candidates. At the height of its influence under Richard J. Daley in the 1960s when political patronage in employment was endemic in American cities, it was one of the most powerful political machines in American history. By the beginning of the 21st century the party had largely ceased to function as a machine due to the legal dismantling of the patronage system under the Shakman Decrees issued by the federal court in Chicago. The current Chair is Toni Preckwinkle, who is also the elected Cook County Board president.

Thomas Murphy is a judge in the Cook County Circuit Court. Prior to winning election to that post in 2006, he served as an alderman of the 18th ward in Chicago; he was first elected in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Brookins</span> American politician

Howard Beamon Brookins Jr. is the Alderman of the 21st Ward of the City of Chicago. He was elected in 2003 and is currently serving his fifth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Stone</span> Chicago alderman (1927–2014)

Bernard "Berny" L. Stone was alderman of the 50th Ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois from 1973 to 2011. The 50th Ward encompasses part of Chicago's far North Side and includes the West Ridge and Peterson Park neighborhoods. First elected to the Council in 1973, Stone was the second longest-serving alderman. His tenure spanned the terms of seven Mayors, from Richard J. Daley to Richard M. Daley. Stone was also Vice Mayor of the City of Chicago from 1998 to 2011.

Thomas R. Allen is a judge within the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County. He was sworn in on December 6, 2010. Prior to his judgeship, he was Alderman of the 38th Ward of Chicago, serving since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fioretti</span> American politician

Robert William Fioretti is an American attorney and politician who served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council for the 2nd Ward, which included portions of Bronzeville, East Garfield Park, Illinois Medical District, Little Italy, Loop, Near West Side, Prairie District, South Loop, University Village, Westhaven, and West Loop. Bob first ran for office because of inequities and disinvestments he saw throughout the City of Chicago and communities of the 2nd Ward. He first won election as alderman in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011. He also served as 2nd Ward Democratic Committeeman for two terms, which is a position in the Cook County Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toni Preckwinkle</span> American politician (born 1947)

Toni Lynn Preckwinkle is an American politician and the current County Board president in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the executive branch of Cook County government, in November 2010, becoming the first woman elected to that position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Berrios</span> American politician

Joseph "Joe" Berrios is a Democratic politician who was the Assessor and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party of Cook County, Illinois, as well as a registered Illinois state government lobbyist. He was the first Hispanic American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly and the first and only Hispanic American to chair the Cook County Democratic Party. He was also a commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review, a property tax assessment appeal panel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Chicago mayoral special election</span>

The Chicago mayoral election of 1989 saw Democratic nominee Richard M. Daley win election to the remainder of an unexpired mayoral term with a 14% margin of victory. This marked a return for the Daley family to the office of mayor. Daley was elected over Alderman Timothy Evans, the nominee of the newly formed Harold Washington Party, and the Republican nominee Ed Vrdolyak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Chicago mayoral election</span>

An election took place on February 24, 2015, to elect the mayor of Chicago. The election was non-partisan and no candidate received a majority. A runoff election was held between the top two finishers on April 7, 2015, and resulted in the reelection of incumbent mayor Rahm Emanuel. The elections were concurrent with the 2015 Chicago aldermanic elections.

Michelle A. Harris is an American politician who is the alderman of Chicago's 8th ward and the chair of the Chicago City Council's rules committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Chicago mayoral election</span>

The 2019 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 26, 2019, to determine the next Mayor of the City of Chicago, Illinois. Since no candidate received a majority of votes, a runoff election was held on April 2, 2019, between the two candidates with the most votes, Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle. Lightfoot defeated Preckwinkle in the runoff election to become mayor, and was sworn in as mayor on May 20, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Chicago elections</span> Chicago Mayors Election

The 2019 Chicago elections took place in two rounds on February 26, 2019, and April 2, 2019. Elections were held for Mayor of Chicago, City Clerk of Chicago, City Treasurer of Chicago, and all 50 members of the Chicago City Council. The candidates who won in these elections were inaugurated on May 20, 2019. Four ballot referendums were also voted on in certain precincts. The elections were administered by the Chicago Board of Elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Cook County, Illinois, elections</span>

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 3, 2020. Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, State's Attorney, Cook County Board of Review district 1, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Timothy Evans Elected Chief Judge Of Circuit Court In Cook County, IL | Jet | Find Articles at BNET
  2. ↑ 1961 Hirsch Metropolitan High School (Chicago, Illinois) Yearbook
  3. ↑ Chicago Defender - Chief Judge Tim Evans: Brings Transparency to Cook County Circuit Courts - February 17, 2016
  4. ↑ "Special vote called to fill vacancies; Aldermanic elections are scheduled tomorrow in 4 wards". Chicago Tribune. 1973-11-26. p. B20. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  5. ↑ "Ald. Claude Holman dies at 69". Chicago Tribune. 1973-06-01. p. B16. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  6. ↑ Fremon, David K. (1988). "4th Ward". Chicago politics, ward by ward. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 40–45. ISBN   978-0-253-31344-7.
  7. ↑ "4 newly elected aldermen may take seats tomorrow". Chicago Tribune. 1973-11-29. p. B14. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  8. ↑ "Newest aldermen welcomed". Chicago Tribune. 1973-12-01. p. 14. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  9. ↑ Jackson, James A. (1973-12-06). "Rookies have diverse backgrounds; 2 young black aldermen tell plans". Chicago Tribune. p. S4. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  10. ↑ "Election Results for 1989 Special Election, Mayor, Chicago, Illinois".
  11. ↑ Joravsky, Ben; Dumke, Mick. "Toni Preckwinkle, 4th Ward (Your Chicago City Council: Our guide to all 50 aldermen)". Chicago Reader . Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Judicial contests". Chicago Tribune. 1992-03-19. p. 23. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  13. ↑ "Council warriors: Where are they now?". Chicago Sun-Times. 1992-11-22. p. 44. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  14. ↑ "Evans elected first Black Chief Judge". Chicago Defender. HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012.
  15. ↑ Sneed, Michael (August 28, 2001). "Scoopsville". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 4.
  16. ↑ Chicago Tribune - Timothy Evans - March 3, 1989
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.