http://www.katch22.org/

About Chris Kachiroubas

Chris Kachiroubas has lived in DuPage County for forty years surrounded by his family and friends. He and his wife Laura are raising their three children, Alex, Chandler, and Tess, in Elmhurst where they have lived for many years. His record of accomplishments and commitment to DuPage County are long and are reflected in the experiences he had growing up here.

Chris Kachiroubas announced his candidacy for Clerk of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in 2003 determined to do more for the county he loves. As an experienced public servant Clerk, Chris Kachiroubas has the experience and commitment to getting the job done. His aggressive approach and willingness to make decisions provide for an improved well run Clerks Office. Since 2004, when Chris Kachiroubas became Clerk, he has made public service and accesses to the Court’s record his number one priority. He continues to focus on reducing customer wait times, increaseing the use of technology supporting the court room cases, public access and has eliminated labor intensive processes. As custodian of the second largest court system in Illinois, Chris understands his statutory responsibilities and provides the best services available as a Circuit Court Clerk. Chris has directed his staff to enhance the access to court records using web technologies, decreased head count, revamped office policies and is addressing the volumes of paper files being currently stored at the court house by electronically imaging documents to then destroy the physical paper files in turn reducing the need for costly space. As Clerk, Chris accepts the responsibility of being Clerk of the Circuit Court and wishes to share some history about the court in addition to some information about the DuPage County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

In 1964, the Illinois constitution was amended by the voters to consolidate the court system in the State. Prior to the constitutional amendment, there were over 20 different court jurisdictions in some of the counties. All of these courts were elected offices. Some were courts of record and others were limited jurisdiction. As a result of the consolidation, there are now three levels of courts: The Supreme Court, Five Appellate Court Districts and the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court is the trial level court of which Chris is Clerk. This court hears all matters from a small claim's case to a multi-million dollar lawsuit. Included are parking tickets to a capital offense, such as murder. It handles everything from adoption to death matters which are probate. Domestic relations, chancery and all types of family matters are also heard at this level. The State of Illinois has twenty-three circuits. Cook, Will and DuPage are single circuit counties meaning the county boundaries and the circuit boundaries are the same. The remainder ninety nine counties are divided into twenty circuits. There are two types of judges in the Circuit Court. A Circuit Judge is elected by the voters on a partisan ballot for a term of six years. A retention ballot of 60% is required to remain a Circuit Judge. An Associate Judge is appointed by the Circuit Judges voting in secret ballot for a four year term. The Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court has six divisions, each of which is headed by a presiding judge. The presiding judge handles administrative matters pertaining to their respective divisions. The criminal divisions include: felony, misdemeanor, DUI traffic, domestic violence, drug cases, local ordinances and traffic violations. The civil divisions include: law, chancery and domestic relations, family, juvenile matters and probate. All court cases are heard in the DuPage Judicial Center, except for minor traffic, ordinance violations and juvenile cases. Traffic cases are heard in four locations: Downers Grove, Addison, Glendale Heights and one courtroom in the county building. Juvenile cases are heard at the DuPage County Youth Home.

The Circuit Court Clerk is a constitutional officer elected in their respective county for a term of four years. There are 102 circuit clerks in the State of Illinois. The Circuit Court Clerk is the keeper of the records, files, evidence and the seal of the Court. The duties of the Circuit Clerk are governed by the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Rules of the Illinois Supreme Court and Rules of the local Circuit Court and Administrative Orders of the Chief Judge. As a constitutional officer, the Circuit Clerk is solely responsible for the internal operations of their respective offices. This includes hiring, promotion and discharge of the deputy clerks employed by the clerk. The Clerk submits a budget to the county board for the operations of the clerk's office once a year. All earnings of the circuit clerk are paid over to the county general fund. As of 2006, the DuPage County Circuit Clerk's office operates on a general fund budget of eight million dollars. In addition, the clerk is responsible for three statutory funds that total 2.5 million dollars. The DuPage County Circuit Clerk's office has 195 full time staff members, 8 part time and 12 seasonal employees to serve the users of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court system. The clerk collects and disburses over 47 million dollars in fines, fees, costs annually. There are 330,000 new cases filed each year and over about 870,000 matters placed on the court calls each year.


Source: http://z5.thevoterguide.org/a-chicagotribune08/race-detail.do;jsessionid=875C810AF9DE37E70A663A02BB29886A?id=159735296

Submit a brief essay that explains why you are qualified to hold this office.

Christopher Kachiroubas: We have made many improvements and changes over our first term. The following are three highlights from our first term: • Electronic Filing: E-filing or the ability to initiate cases and file papers over the internet started in 2004 and is continually expanding. The e-filing program began with 10 filings a month. Four years later electronic filings are currently at 300-500 each week. • Compliance: We created a separate department and instituted a process for collecting unpaid fees, fines and cost which have been assessed by the court. With the addition of two contracted collection agencies the Circuit Clerk’s Office has collected more than $6 million in previously uncollected debt. • On-line orders of Protection: The Clerk’s office transformed a very long and complicated form to a user-friendly web-based program. Additionally, we are working with Townships and other local governments, creating assistance and private work stations for the completion of these sensitive documents. Once the petition is completed, the petitioner must go to our office and sign the document electronically. The petition is then immediately available in electronic form for a Judge to hear.

Along with Electronic Filing and Compliance and On-Line orders of Protections, the DuPage County Circuit Clerk’s Office will continue to use technology to expand accessibility and create a more efficient court system. Other successful projects developed by our office include Electronic Court Call, Drivers Records in the Court Rooms, E-ticketing, Electronic Pleas of Guilty and Electronic Signatures.

List your three most significant post-election goals.

Christopher Kachiroubas: The goal of any government office must be public service. The delivery of services and management must adhere to that public service theme. The Clerk’s office serves an average of more than 1000 people a day. We will continue our efforts that began on the first day I took office to reduce wait time by reallocating staff during high volume periods and increasing the processing abilities of our technology.

Other goals in my second administration: • E-Tickets are electronic transmission of information from the traffic stop to the court record. They will reduce the time of a traffic stop and create a safer working environment for a police officer and reduce or prevent manual errors from being placed on the court record. Wireless transmissions reduce delays between the stop and the receipt of the ticket information by the office of the Circuit Court. • E-Warrants are warrants that will be prepared, signed and delivered for service electronically. Initially, this process will be restricted to Traffic Courts but with testing and increased participation on the part of Policing Agencies, Prosecutors, Judges and other Circuit Clerks this process could be expanded.


Source: http://addisontwpgop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=64

CHRISTOPHER KACHIROUBAS CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Chris Kachiroubas

Chris Kachiroubas became a candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court in 2003, won the 2004 election and was sworn – in December 2004. The DuPage Clerk of the Circuit Court is responsible for all court records of the 18th Judicial Circuit. The 18th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses all of DuPage County, is the second largest circuit in the State of Illinois. Presently, the 18th Circuit has 38 House Courts and 4 field courts.

In 2006, the Clerk's office handled over 26,000 new civil case filings and over 220,000 new criminal filings. The Clerk's office manages over 850,000 items on the court call annually. Within the criminal filings there are 187,000 traffic tickets written by 40 different law enforcement agencies. Approximately 54% of all traffic citations are handled and disposed administratively through the Clerk's office. Additionally, over 22,000 warrants and 46,000 summons are issued and processed through the Clerk's office.

The Circuit Clerk's office is the steward of all fees, fines and costs, as ordered by the court. Annual revenue for 2006 is expected to reach $24,000,000 and the Circuit Clerk's will be the third largest revenue source in DuPage County, behind the countywide sales tax and property taxes.

Chris has brought many new innovations in his short tenure: Expanded case management and court information through the internet; Payment of petty/traffic tickets through dupagecase.com; a compliance program that has brought in over $3,000,000 since December of 2004; and a new, open, waiting area with a 'help station' to assist you when you come into the Clerk's office.

As Clerk, Chris is focused on improving customer service, strengthening the use of technology and dealing with a reduced budget by the County while adhering to his statutory duties. Chris Kachiroubas is looking forward to serving DuPage County for many years to come.

Prior to becoming Clerk of the Circuit Court, Chris was elected 3 times as the Addison Township Assessor. Chris had spent a total of 24 years with the Assessor's office beginning in 1977; serving in several different positions within the office. He served as President of the DuPage Assessor's Association; at-large Board member to the Illinois Assessor's Association and a Board Member to the Township Officials of Illinois.

Chris, his wife Laura and their 3 children have lived in Elmhurst for the past 7 years and Chris has lived in DuPage County for 30 years.


Archive of Chris Kachiroubas from October 2004

 
chris_kachiroubas.txt · Last modified: 2010/06/16 13:42 by 127.0.0.1
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