Patrick Kevin Coughlin
Judge up for retention, on the Chicago ballot November 3, 2026. Incumbent.
Circuit Court of Cook County
Ratings
- Chicago Bar Association: Qualified
- Illinois State Bar Association: Yes
- Injustice Watch: Former prosecutor
Record
Elected to the Circuit Court in 2014; hears felony cases at the Markham courthouse, where he has spent most of his judicial career. Injustice Watch reports that the appellate court overturned his 38-year sentence for Lavert Bonner, who was 17 when he shot and killed Lawrence Mack in 2010, with the majority writing that the length was not justified given Coughlin's own finding that Bonner could be rehabilitated; one judge dissented. He said court rules bar him from commenting on a pending case. A judge stays on the bench with a yes from 60 percent of voters.
Background
Cook County assistant state's attorney, finishing as deputy bureau chief in the narcotics division (1996-2014). Law degree from DePaul University (1996).
Compiled from public sources: