On Thursday, August 15, 2024, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas would be under review by the court’s executive committee regarding an incident in her courtroom last fall.
According to the report, Robert Almodovar, a law clerk who had previously spent over 20 years in prison for a double murder before being exonerated, brought his cellphone into Judge Chiampas’ courtroom. Chiampas threatened to hold Almodovar in contempt of court and send him back to jail for six months if he did not turn over his phone. Almodovar believed, as a law clerk, he was exempt from the cellphone ban at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
Chiampas refused to allow Almodovar to store his phone before proceeding, even though he tried to comply with her order. Almodovar described Chiampas’ behavior as akin to bullying. Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans agreed Chiampas’ actions seemed overly harsh and sent the matter to the executive committee for review.
The court has a policy banning electronics like cellphones but it has caused confusion since being implemented in 2013. Judge Evans said the latest amendment will focus on clarifying phone use for media but the entire policy may need rewriting for more clarity.
Chiampas lifted Almodovar’s courthouse ban earlier this month, meaning he can now enter without restriction. However, her conduct will still be scrutinized by the executive committee to determine if any disciplinary steps are warranted. Even if no action is taken, Judge Evans believes incidents like this may make judges less likely to overreact to minor violations in the future. The case has garnered attention as Almodovar’s treatment seemed undeserved given his wrongful conviction and time spent in prison.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
