1.

Name (State full name and any former names used)

Joanne F. Rosado

2. Age
46

3. Education (List schools, years attended, and degrees received)

John Marshall Law School 1997-2001
DePaul University 1989-1992
Resurrection High School 1985-1989

4. Current occupation and employer

Cook County Judge
State of Illinois

5. Current hometown, and neighborhood if Chicago. If subcircuit candidate: How long

have you lived there?
Rosemont, 11th Subcircuit, 16 years

6. Work history (List with years)

Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County 2017- present
State of Illinois, 50 W. Washington, Chicago, IL

● Criminal experience in traffic and branch courts handling misdemeanor motions, trials,
bond hearings, violations of bail bond hearings, felony preliminary hearings and
sentencing.
● Civil experience in traffic and forcible court with Petitions to Rescind Statutory Summary
Suspension, evictions, credit card disputes and small claims issues with mainly pro se
litigants.
● Experience with petty tickets in traffic court with trials, pleas and sentencing.
● Training assistance for other newly appointed Judges.

Assistant Public Defender – Grade IV 2002-2017

Law Office of Cook County Public Defender, 69 W. Washington, Chicago, IL

Multiple Defendant Division-​ providing legal services throughout Cook County and related tasks
in representing the defense in cases and matters accepted by or assigned to the Public Defender
for clients.
● Lead Counsel for bench (over 100 litigated to disposition) and jury (over 60 litigated to
disposition) trials for First Degree Murder Cases, Natural Life Cases, Complex Forensic
cases, and all other felony related charges.
● Monitor, provide guidance, assistance and consulting with lower level assistance public
defenders, clerks, social workers, probation officers, medical, psychological,
investigators or other experts, and legal associates.
● Prepare and litigate of hundreds of complicated motions.
 ● Lead counsel on Mental Health cases with regards to fitness hearings, discharge hearings,
competency hearings, restoration hearings, and not guilty by reason of insanity hearings.
● Interview clients and witnesses. Consult with the judge and assistant state’s attorney’s
concerning the charges, the plea and other matters related to legal proceedings in the
case.
● Negotiate agreements with prosecution, the judge, and client allowing for dispose of
issues or charges.
● Evaluate case and prepares necessary legal documents, briefs, subpoenas, pleadings,
determines whether cases should be referred to another division or attorney and makes
recommendations for same according to prescribed procedures

Felony Trial Division Leighton Criminal Courts- 26​ and California 2003-2013
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Civil Division 2002-2003​ Defended parents regarding termination of parental rights

711 clerk N​ight Narcotics court and felony day court at 26​ and California.
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Law Office of Joanne Rosado, Solo Practitioner, Rosemont, IL 2002-2010

● Civil experience in real estate transactions, estate planning, contract negotiations,
landowner-tenant matters and employment disputes, and other non-court related matters,
as allowed by the Public Defender’s office.

7. In what areas of law do you have experience?

Criminal and Civil

8. List your bar association memberships.

Women’s Bar Association
West Suburban Bar Association
Puerto Rican Bar Association
Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois Association

9. List all professional, business, fraternal, scholarly, civic, charitable, or other

organizations to which you belong.
● Hispanic Lawyer’s Association -Mentor, Food drive volunteer
● IVI-IPO - Member
● Women's Bar Association of Illinois -Member/ Mentor/ Judicial Committee 2015
● Women Everywhere Program-Member, Court tours
● Chicago National Organization for Women-Member
● Polish American Police Association - Member
● Puerto Rican Police Association - Member
● League of Women Voters, Oak Park Chapter - Member
● Rosemont Voters League- Member
● Puerto Rican Bar Association – Board Member/Chair Adopt A Family
● Lead Counsel under the Illinois Death Penalty

10. Describe your civic involvement.

 ● Mock trial coach for Chicago Public Schools at Bogan High School 2013-2015
● Rosemont Elementary room parent 2000-2015
● Football Coach Leyden Bears 2006
● Soccer Coach Des Plaines Park District 2006-2007
● Basketball Coach Niles Park District 2008-2009
● Little League Coach (Chicago Park/Rosemont/Park Ridge) 2003-2008
● St. Viator High School parent association 2010-2014
● East Leyden parent association member 2014-2017
● St. Pascal Room Parent/Board Member 1998-2002
● Liaison for Deaf/Hard of hearing program (LASEC)
● Team Mom for basketball, baseball and football 2005-2015
● Templates/Advocate for Children’s Memorial Hospital

12.​ ​Describe your current and former political involvement.

Have you run for judge before? When and for which seat?
I am a democrat running for Judge in the 11th Subcircuit to the vacancy of Kathleen Kennedy. I
was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the vacancy on January 20, 2017. I previously
ran as a judicial candidate for Vacancy A in the 11th Subcircuit in the March 2014 election.

13. List your published writings, with dates and with links if available.
N/A

14.​ ​Why do you want to be a Cook County judge?

I want to continue to be a Cook County Judge, in the position I was appointed to by the Illinois
Supreme Court, because every day I sit on the bench is an honor. I do not take my position
lightly and I realize the responsibility for being honest and fair to each person that comes before
me. I want to be a judge because I possess great qualities that help me to make a difference in the
person’s life in front of me every day. I want to be an instrument of justice to ensure that every
person that comes before me has an opportunity to be heard individually and to leave the
courtroom knowing they had their day in court.
15. What are the most pressing issues facing the justice system and why?
The most pressing issues facing the justice system is bail reform, mass incarceration and juvenile
justice reform. Bail reform is a pressing issue because of the number of indigent people who are
awaiting trial in Cook County jail due to the fact that they cannot afford to pay the bond that is
set. This directly has effects on the mass incarceration of minority defendants.

16. How will your experiences help you serve as a good judge?
I am a candidate for judge in the 11th subcircuit, I was appointed to the vacancy of Kathleen
Kennedy on January 20, 2017, this vacancy is in the 11th subcircuit. Therefore, my current
experience as a judge in the First Municipal Division handling heavy volume courtrooms on a
daily basis and dealing with the courtroom staff and personnel is helpful for the position of
judge. While in this division, I am receiving criminal experience in traffic and branch courts
handling misdemeanor motions, trials, bond hearings, violations of bail bond hearings, felony
preliminary hearings and sentencing. I am also receiving civil experience in traffic and forcible
court with Petitions to Rescind Statutory Summary Suspension, evictions, credit card disputes
and small claims issues with mainly pro se litigants. Additionally, I am receiving experience with
petty tickets in traffic court with trials, pleas, sentencing and providing training assistance for
other newly appointed Judges. All of these experiences will help me to be the best well trained
judge possible for the daily activities in the courtroom.

Prior to my appointment as judge, I believe combinations of different parts of my life are

what make me qualified to hold the position of judge. First, my work as an Assistant Public
Defender at 26​ and California for over 15 years, defending the indigent while dealing with the
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budget crisis, lack of services, and the law. My experience and expertise of defending hundreds
of individuals through jury trials, motions, and bench trials allowed me to be promoted to the top
of the office to a unit handling murder trials and other serious violent crimes throughout Cook
County on an independent basis. This required my efficient and effective management of time
while ensuring the best legal representation I could provide to each individual on my caseload.
When the State of Illinois had Capital Punishment, I was first chair qualified on the Supreme
Court of Illinois Capital Litigation Trial Bar. My work allowed me to deal with the court system
and the mass volume of cases on a daily basis. I have a clear working knowledge of the
complexity of managing a court call, the volume of cases, the different courtroom personnel and
the importance of staying current with the every changing law. Therefore, I know the daily
workings of the courtroom from every aspect. In terms of my legal experience, I have had the
opportunity to do civil work in the child protection division as well as in my personal practice.
Next, my life experience as a mother of three children and advocating for their special needs,
seeking out the necessary resources and information for a deaf child and a diabetic child allows
me to be nurturing and understanding of differences. Finally, my ability to understand diversity
and struggle to make changes regardless of your circumstance, growing up within the 11th
subcircuit in the city of Chicago and going through Chicago Public School in low income
neighborhoods. These areas all make up my experience which will be most helpful in my being
fair, impartial and dedication to the law.

17. What do you wish voters knew about you?

The qualities I bring to the bench as a Judge every day are diversity, life experience, knowledge
and balance. On the bench, I have shown that I have the ability to listen, to be impartial and fair,
be compassionate, hardworking, and dedicated to justice reform. Additionally, I conduct myself
with the best interest of justice at all times while being an efficient and effective courtroom
manager.

*As to all the answers above: I will keep an open mind, remain impartial and my personal views play
no role in the judicial decision-making process.