Politics & Government
Ex-Law Clerk Who Posed as Judge: 'I Did Not Decide Any Cases'
Rhonda Crawford says she regrets her actions, but she won't drop out of the race for judge in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit.
CHICAGO, IL — The former law clerk who put on a judge's robe and sat behind the bench last month claimed during her first press conference about the scandal Thursday that the judge watched over her the entire time and even encouraged her to pick up the gavel to gain experience as she runs for an open judiciary seat, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Rhonda Crawford, who is running for the open judge seat in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit, is accused of presiding over three traffic cases in Judge Valerie Turner's courtroom Aug. 11. After the allegations, Crawford was fired from her law clerk post for Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, and Turner was reassigned to oversee administrative duties, the report stated.
The incident is currently under criminal investigation by the Illinois State's Attorney's Office, and the three cases involving minor traffic violations were reheard and dismissed, the report added.
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While regretting that her ambition to be on the bench got the best of her, Crawford said during the press conference that she made no official decisions when she heard Turner's cases and followed the judge's instructions when she wore the robe:
"The judge stood over me the entire time, while she decided the last three cases on her court call. I was always under the direction of the judge. As it relates to what I did not do, I did not decide any cases. I did not pronounce any judgments. I did not hand any court papers to the courtroom clerk. I did not sign my name to any judicial orders."
The incident also will not force Crawford to drop out of November's election for subcircuit judge, she said. In March, she won the Democratic primary for the open seat and was running unopposed. But a judge ruled Wednesday that Cook County Circuit Judge Maryam Ahmad can run as a write-in candidate against Crawford.
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