Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes To Retire From Bench

JOLIET, IL - Veteran Will County Circuit Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes, one of the most high-profile judges at the Will County Courthouse, has notified the Illinois Supreme Court she intends to retire from the bench effective August 3, 2018, Joliet Patch confirmed Thursday. Policandriotes became an associate judge in 2001, back when her name was Carla Alessio Goode. She has strong ties to Shorewood. She graduated from Lewis University in 1983 and John Marshall Law School in 1987, according to Chicago Tribune archives.

Friday's Joliet Patch story breaking the news of Policandriotes' upcoming retirement may surprise Will County residents. After all, her current term is not set to end until December 6, 2020. However, the fourth floor judge's popularity has taken a hit in recent years. Although Will County residents voted to retain her for another term in November 2014, Policandriotes was the only Will County judge of the five on the ballot box with more than 50,000 people voting against retaining her. Thirty percent wanted her gone. The only other Will County judge up for retention who was even close to 50,000 no votes was Sarah Jones at 48,342, Illinois election results reflect.

Over the past few years, the criminal trials and tribulations of Louis Goode, Judge Policandriotes' son, have caused a number of people around Will County to lose confidence in her ability to be an effective judge. Former Patch Editor Joseph Hosey broke several noteworthy stories about Policandriotes and her apparent involvement in her troubled son's case. In 2014, Patch reported that Louis Goode, then 29, was arrested at the Will County Courthouse, where he was starting a new government job as an office assistant even though he was a convicted felon.

RELATED: Judge's Son Already Convicted Of Vicious Abuse, Admits To Violating Probation

RELATED: Judge Still Hasn't Talked To Cops: Will County Sheriff

The judge's son Louis Goode landed a government job working for Will County even though he had criminal convictions for forgery and possession of controlled substances. He later pleaded guilty to domestic battery and felony aggravated domestic battery, Patch reported in 2016.

In Courtroom 405, Policandriotes often handles some of the most high-profile felony cases inside the Will County Courthouse. In August, she lowered the bond from $1 million to $250,000 for Beecher defendant Sean Woulfe. He was just taken into custody days earlier on 16 reckless homicide charges in connection with the July 24 Beecher tragedy that killed Lindsey Schmidt, a pregnant mother, and her three young sons. Woulfe had barreled through a rural stop sign and plowed into the Schmidt vehicle traveling 83 mph, according to court testimony. An assistant state's attorney also informed the judge that in May 2012, Woulfe was ticked for driving 91 mph in a 55 mph zone in Manteno.

But the prosecution's argument fell on deaf ears with Judge Policandriotes. She sided with Woulfe's lawyer, George Lenard and agreed to lower Woulfe's bond by a substantial amount.

RELATED: Woulfe Makes Bail, No Longer In Jail

Within about five hours of the judge's decision,Woulfe's family came up with $25,000 cash, or 10 percent, to bail their son out of the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

A tally of the current Will County judiciary indicates there are about 16 circuit judges and 20 associates. As of July, circuit judges in Illinois are paid a salary of $198,075 while associate judges make $188,171.

Image via Patch files