Chicago Judge Seeking Info re Mystery Federal Cases Filed Against Her Is On Leave, Officials Say
Updated: Following news last week that a Chicago judge had appeared before two federal judges claiming that she is the target of “secret proceedings” that may have been filed by her former lawyer, doctor and/or “spiritual adviser” and seeking to intervene in cases that seemingly do not exist, state judiciary officials made an announcement about her status on the bench.
Judge Susan McDunn “was removed from hearing cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and her Presiding Judge William D. Maddux months ago, and has been on medical leave status since that time,” said a written statement provided by Evans’ office on Friday to the Chicago Sun-Times. (McDunn has since resigned from the bench, as detailed in a subsequent ABAJournal.com post.)
An earlier Chicago Sun-Times article described the federal court appearances by McDunn, 57, last week. The judge reportedly insisted in an agitated manner that she knows sealed cases against her exist and said she is “being persecuted extensively by many people in many ways,” adding “I have many claims of many types against many potential defendants, including very powerful people in this city.”
McDunn appeared Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, who told McDunn: “You have not provided me with sufficient information to make a determination if you can intervene in some case that may or may not exist.” A couple of days later, McDunn went before Chief Judge James F. Holderman of the Northern District of Illinois again seeking information on sealed cases. He told her he had asked the clerk’s office to check and, as he told her repeatedly during a brief hearing, “there is no case.”
Hat tip: Above the Law.
Last updated on Nov. 15 to include link to subsequent ABAJournal.com post about McDunn’s resignation from the bench.
