We declare the lack of transparency and accountability in the Family Courts of Cook County to be egregious and extremely injurious to the children and families in Cook County.
Per judicial order, electronic recording of court proceedings is forbidden. The court system no longer provides court reporters - subsequently, there is no record of what transpired in court. Private court reporters at $250 - $350 per hour (without transcripts) are cost-prohibitive and some judges even issue "no writing" instructions.
A report released from the Illinois Family Law Committee states "Cottage Industries" have developed.
We find the lack of transparency to be ethically against the intent of our founding fathers in creating our Constitution and increasingly damaging to the appearance of justice.