Thomas J. Carroll
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 public defender
Record
Appointed to the Circuit Court in 2011 and elected in 2014; a supervising judge in the misdemeanor section at the Markham courthouse. Injustice Watch reports that he was one of three judges who withdrew from 2012 primary races against candidates favored by the Cook County Democratic Party and were then reappointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, and that his exit cleared a path for Daniel R. Degnan. It also reports that he has family ties to former Ald. Ed Burke, whose wife, Anne, sat on the Supreme Court at the time. A judge stays on the bench with a yes from 60 percent of voters.
Background
Attorney in private practice handling criminal and civil cases and a hearing officer for municipal offenses in Merrionette Park (1992-2011); before that, a Cook County assistant public defender (1988-1992). Law degree from IIT Chicago-Kent (1988).
Compiled from public sources: