1.

Name (State full name and any former names used)

Sheree D. Henry
Sheree D. Dykes

2. Age - 49

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

Hyde Career Academy - ( 1983- 1987) H.S. Diploma

Bradley University - (1987- 1991) Bachelor of Science in Business
Management

Northern Illinois University’s Law School - (1991 -1994) Juris Doctor

4. Current occupation and employer

Cook County Public Defender’ Office - (1999 – present)

Assistant Public Defender

5. Current hometown, and neighborhood if Chicago. If Sub Circuit candidate: How

long have you lived there?

2nd Sub Circuit to fill vacancy of Camille Willis

Homewood, Illinois - 16 years

6. Work history (List with years)

Cook County Public Defender - February 1999 to present

Cook County Public Guardian’s Office - October 1995 to February 1999
Law of Ayesha Hakeem and Associates - April 1995 to September 1995

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

Abuse and Neglect

Criminal Law
8. List your bar association memberships.
Chicago Bar Association
South Suburban Bar Association
Black Women’s Lawyer’s Association of Greater Chicago

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

organizations to which you belong

St. Sabina’s Ark – GEMS program

Democratic Women of South Suburbs
Homewood Veteran’s Committee
South Suburban Bar Association

10. Describe your civic involvement.

I am a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, and I am a member of

their Adopt-A-College Student Ministry. I also volunteer at a local food
pantry and at St. Sabina in their GEM’s program. I am even a member of
the Democratic Women of South Suburbs, and I am a member of the
youth committee that takes a group of high school students to Springfield
every year. Finally, I speak at middle and high schools to students about
“ What to do when stopped by the Police’” and participate in the 6 th
District Annual Mock Trial.

11. Describe your current and former political involvement.

None

12. Have you run for Judge before? When and for which seat?
No

13. List your published writings, with dates and with links if available. –
None
14. Why do you want to be a Cook County Judge?

As an assistant cook county public defender, I fight to ensure that my

clients are not only heard, but also understood in court. As a Judge, I will
guarantee that anyone who comes into my courtroom will be heard and
understood. I believe that the judicial system is the calming voice in a
stressful situation. When someone enters my courtroom, three things will
happen; I will listen to them, I will be fair and I will always follow the
law. As Judge, I can guarantee that these three rights will always happen
for everyone.

15. What are the most pressing issues facing the justice system and why?

Discrimination and Fairness, the public feels that African-Americans and

Hispanics are found guilty far more than other races and receive harsher
sentences than other races.

16. How will your experiences help you serve as a good judge?

I have the community experience to ensure that I will be able to connect

and understand the people who come before me in court. I have the legal
experience to guarantee that I know the law and will follow the law. As a
defense attorney, I have also developed very good listening skills that are
extremely necessary and useful as a judge. As a member of the Illinois
National Guard for over 7 years, I have cultivated my good observation
skills that are also very essential and beneficial as a judge.

17. What do you wish voters knew about you?

I have dedicated my whole legal career to being a civil servant. I have been
a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois since 1994.

As an assistant public guardian and public defender, I help families navigate

through the judicial system and I am their voice in and out of court. My
community involvement allows me share my experience with parent and
their children about how the judicial system operates. I learned how much
the public relies on the judicial system to be the voice of reason. My
experience and involvement has given me the foundation to be a judge and
will make me a good if not great judge.

I began my legal career working in a civil right law firm where I helped
victims of discrimination receive monetary benefits or job reinstatement.
My desire to help families led me to becoming an assistant cook county
public guardian’s office and eventually an assistant cook county public
defender. As an assistant public guardian, I worked tirelessly to represent
children who were abused and neglected by their parent and/or guardian.

I am now assigned to the Markham Courthouse where I handle a felony

caseload of over 70 cases. I also voluntarily represent all the individuals in
the Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veteran’s Court Programs in the
Markham Courthouse. These programs help my clients and their families
learn sobriety, life coping skills and health maintenance tools.

I help strengthen my community by volunteering at a local food pantry,

speaking at middle schools and high schools to students about “What to do if
you are stopped by the police “and “how the criminal justice system
operates.” I also participate in the 6th District Courthouse Annual Mock Trial
Competition