Judge settles into new role in Rolling Meadows

Cook County Judge Jill Cerone-Marisie spent her first day as presiding judge of Rolling Meadows Third Municipal District shuttling between chambers and phoning department heads.

By midday Friday, her new chambers looked about as empty as it did 24 hours earlier when her predecessor, Judge William O. Maki retired after 25 years on the bench, the last 6½ as presiding judge. But Cerone-Marisie had spoken with 12 of the 18 department heads at the courthouse, intending to arrange meetings with them in the near future.

At this point, she doesn't foresee making any big changes in courthouse operations, which she said ran smoothly under Maki and his predecessor Judge Joseph Urso

"I'm just trying to fine tune," said Cerone-Marisie, who will mark 11 years on the bench Dec. 6.

Cook County assistant state's attorney and Rolling Meadows supervisor Maria McCarthy said she and her colleagues are pleased with Cerone-Marisie's appointment and look forward to working with her.

"She treats everyone who appears before her with respect and is always fair to both sides," McCarthy said.

The third district has been Cerone-Marisie's home for much of her professional career, beginning with her three-year tenure as a Cook County prosecutor. After leaving the office in 1994 to enter private practice, she represented clients at the Rolling Meadows courthouse. Elected to the circuit court in 2006, she heard traffic court cases at the Daley Center for a year before she was transferred to Rolling Meadows, where she has presided over criminal and civil matters, as well as the drug and veterans courts, which have operated in Rolling Meadows for about six years.

Cerone-Marisie has a special affinity for specialty courts hopes her new duties will allow her to continue to preside over them. She's also eager to establish a drug court in Rolling Meadows, hoping to do it in the next year.

"The old way of being tough on crime and curbing recidivism doesn't work when there's an underlying issue that hasn't been addressed" she said, referring to substance abuse and mental illness, which are common with low level defendants assigned to the specialty courts.

In those cases, judges, prosecutors and public defenders, probation officers, mental health experts and Veterans Affairs representatives work as a team - developing treatment plans, establishing goals and providing intensive supervision for eligible defendants.

There are consequences for those who fail to comply with treatment or commit new crimes, said Cerone-Marisie, adding though that the specialty courts have been successful in helping people turn their lives around.

In the long run, such courts help save the county and state money by reducing the number of people incarcerated and ultimately, reducing crime, she said.