COVID-19 Vaccine Mandated For Staff Of Cook County Chief Judge

CHICAGO — Employees of the chief judge of Cook County Circuit Court, including law clerks, interpreters, probation officers, pretrial services staff and court reporters, will be required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

The mandate does not apply to the county's approximately 400 judges, who are elected officials themselves rather than staff of the chief judge's office.

Chief Judge Tim Evans said he planned to distribute the policy to all employees and judges by the end of the week. Discussions with unions representing his staff are expected to follow.

“Public health experts have determined that unvaccinated individuals are more likely to contract and transmit the virus and to experience more serious symptoms of COVID-19 than those who are vaccinated,” Evans said in a statement.

Under the new policy, unvaccinated employees have 21 days to receive their first vaccine dose. Those getting a Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine must get the second jab "as soon as practicable" after the first, according to the chief judge's office.

There will be limited exceptions for employees who have medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs, according to Evans' office. Staff have until Jan. 17 to submit a request for an exemption.

Those that remain unvaccinated and are not granted an exemption may be subject to discipline and potential termination, the chief judge's office announced.

“This step is being taken to ensure the safest possible workplace for our employees, and to protect employees of our justice partners, court services patrons, residents of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and the general public,” Evans said.

A spokesperson for the chief judge said about 90 percent of respondents to a survey of employees in August said they were already vaccinated.

Unions representing the chief judge's employees include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, the Teamsters, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Chicago News Guild and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, according to Communications Director Mary Wisniewski.

The Cook County chief judge's office follows the county's board president, state's attorney and the city of Chicago in issuing a vaccine mandate.

The sheriff's office announced a mandate but has indefinitely suspended its enforcement pending negotiations with unions representing its workers.