HONORABLE ANN B. JORGENSEN ELECTED AS CHIEF JUDGE

At a September 14, 2005 meeting, the Circuit Judges of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, DuPage County, unanimously elected Judge Ann B. Jorgensen to a three-year term as Chief Circuit Judge commencing December 5, 2005. Judge Jorgensen succeeds Chief Judge Robert K. Kilander whose term will expire.

Ann B. Jorgensen, of Wheaton, was appointed an Associate Judge in 1989 and elected Circuit Judge in 1994. Judge Jorgensen currently is the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Felony Division and Presiding Judge of Drug Court. Additionally, she is past president of the Illinois Judges Association (2002-2004). A 1980 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, she has also served as an Assistant DuPage County State’s Attorney 1980 –1984.

Chief Judge Kilander stated: “ Ann Jorgensen is a wonderful choice for Chief Judge. She brings a wealth of experience both from the practice of law and 16 years on the bench. Her leadership qualities have been evident in her position as Presiding Judge of the Felony Division, Presiding Judge of Drug Court, Director of our Evidence Based Practices Task Force and her tenure as President of the Illinois Judges Association.” Judge Kilander added: “ she will be the first female to fill this critical position, while noteworthy is really unimportant. She is the best judge, and the best person, to hold the title of Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit at this time. I know what this job requires, and I feel we have made an excellent choice.”

Source: http://www.dupageco.org/courts/generic.cfm?doc_id=2274

Costs could close youth home

By Kathy Cichon, staff writer

Drastic cuts could call for drastic measures.

Saying that any personnel cuts are out of the question, Chief Judge Ann B. Jorgensen informed DuPage County's Finance Committee of the only alternative.

“You leave me no choice but to close the youth home,” Jorgensen said. “Is it advisable? Is it what I want to do? No. But I can't ask probation to do more with less.”

Addressing the possibility of budget cuts up to 20 percent Sept. 14, Jorgensen told the committee it would be impossible to cut any staff without creating other problems – ones that would essentially disrupt the flow of cases and create a backlog.

“I believe it's a choice between the lesser of two evils,” she said.

Jorgensen's office is responsible for four departments: Clerk of the Circuit Court, Jury Commission, Public Defender and Probation and Court Services. Many of the programs and services offered in those divisions are mandated by the state, which is why Jorgensen said the detention center would be shuttered if the county slashes budgets by 20 percent.

“It is not a mandated service,” Jorgensen said. “Anything that is not mandated has to be on the table.”

According to the county's Web site, the Juvenile Detention Center is a division of the Department of Probation and Court Services, 18th Judicial Circuit Court. The 80-bed facility provides secure detention for juveniles in the court system. Other counties have used the DuPage center as a model when creating their own, and the center has been recognized by the National Juvenile Detention Association as a model program.

The center, on the county's campus in Wheaton, opened in the 1970s, and an addition was built 10 years ago, said Chuck Hoffman, deputy court administrator in Jorgensen's office. The facility serves girls and boys, up to age 17, that are required to be detained by court order, he said. Those staying at the center have access to medical care and attend academic education programs, along with life skills programs, he said.

“It's considerably more than just housing people,” Hoffman said. “They work with individuals to prepare them for their eventual return to society. They don't just house them.”

Should the center close, the county would have to find another location for the juveniles to stay. However not all counties have youth centers, and some counties may not have room, Hoffman said. This means a DuPage youth could end up housed many miles away – and the county would have to pay for them to stay there. Also, the sheriff's office would be responsible for transporting the youth back and forth for court dates.

“It wouldn't even be like we'd be saving money,” said County Board member Bob Heap, R-Naperville, who chairs the Finance Committee.

The Finance Committee is in the process of holding a series of hearings about how budget cuts up to 20 percent would affect their offices. The hearing with Jorgensen was the third.

County Board members may consider going to Springfield to seek an alternative revenue source.