Crime & Safety
Ex-Law Clerk Who Posed as Judge Indicted by Grand Jury
The indictment comes on the heels of a state agency's complaint against Rhonda Crawford and her judicial impersonation in August.
CHICAGO, IL — A grand jury has indicted a former law clerk who posed as a Cook County judge and sat on the bench over the summer,according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The indictment against Rhonda Crawford came down Wednesday and was announced by her attorney ahead of the Cook County state's attorney's office, the report stated. Crawford's lawyer did not know the details of the indictment, the report added.
Crawford is accused of presiding over three traffic cases Aug. 11 in Judge Valerie Turner's courtroom, while under the real judge's supervision. During a press conference last month, Crawford said she made no official case decisions on the bench and followed Turner's instructions the entire time. However, the three cases she presided over — all minor traffic violations — were later reheard and dismissed.
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RELATED: Ex-Law Clerk Who Posed as Judge: 'I Did Not Decide Any Cases'
Crawford was fired from her law clerk post for Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans once the allegations of her impersonation surfaced. Turner was reassigned to oversee administrative duties, but she has not been charged in the incident, according to the Sun-Times.
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Despite August's incident, she is still running for the open judge seat in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit in November. She faces Cook County Circuit Judge Maryam Ahmad, a write-in candidate who threw her hat into the ring after the reports of Crawford's judge impersonation.
RELATED: State Agency Files Complaint Against Ex-Law Clerk Who Posed as Judge
On Oct. 7, The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission filed a formal complaint against Crawford, accusing her of impersonating a judge and making false statements in an investigation. The state agency also petitioned the state Supreme Court to suspend her law license, the Sun-Times reports.
The incident is currently under criminal investigation by the Illinois State's Attorney's Office.
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