On Thursday, January 16, 2025, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced the permanent reassignment of Judge Thomas Nowinski from the Domestic Violence Division to the Third Municipal District, where he will preside over misdemeanor and traffic cases. This decision followed an internal investigation launched in November 2024, prompted by public outcry and criticism surrounding Nowinski’s handling of the case of Constantin Beldie.
Beldie, 57, was charged with a violent domestic attack in October 2024. Despite the charges, Nowinski released Beldie on October 9th, ordering him to wear a GPS monitoring device. Approximately a month later, Beldie fatally stabbed his wife while wearing the ankle monitor. The stabbing was witnessed by an off-duty Chicago police officer, who subsequently shot at Beldie. Beldie later died from self-inflicted carbon monoxide poisoning.
The internal review, which concluded on January 13th, examined Nowinski’s decision to release Beldie and the court’s GPS monitoring program. The investigation determined that Nowinski’s decision was based on an incomplete presentation of the case by the state’s attorney. The state’s attorney failed to fully detail Beldie’s history, or lack thereof, of domestic violence or violations of no-contact orders. The defense attorney’s presentation, to which the state did not object, further contributed to the judge’s decision. The court ruled that the state did not provide clear and convincing evidence of a threat to the victim’s safety that could not be mitigated by other means.
The investigation also uncovered flaws in the court’s GPS monitoring program. A GPS technician failed to alert the court that Beldie had entered a restricted area just one day after his court appearance before Nowinski. This technician was temporarily suspended and subsequently resigned.
In response to the investigation’s findings, Chief Judge Evans outlined several changes. These include increased collaboration between the court and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to ensure judges receive complete information about defendants’ criminal history and civil actions. The court will also explore implementing a risk assessment tool that includes interviews with survivors, a recommendation from a statewide Domestic Violence Pretrial Practices Working Group. Further collaboration with the state’s attorney’s office will be required for this initiative.
Additional changes involve improved collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office to ensure timely service of protective orders and updated policies requiring defendants potentially violating GPS monitoring conditions to appear in court the following day. The investigation also highlighted significant understaffing within the Adult Probation Department’s Home Confinement Unit, responsible for administering GPS monitoring. To address this, the court plans to hire 153 additional staff, requiring a budget increase of $23.9 million.
Nowinski’s reassignment, effective January 21st, was described as being at his request and that of his presiding judge, Judith Rice, who oversees the Domestic Violence Division. The reassignment is not the first action taken in response to the Beldie case. Nowinski was temporarily removed from domestic matters in November 2024 following the initial public outcry.
