Tiesha L. Smith
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: No
- Asian American Bar Association: No
- Decalogue Society of Lawyers: No
- Hellenic Bar Association: No
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association: No
- Puerto Rican Bar Association: No
- Injustice Watch: Former public defender
Record
Elected to the Circuit Court countywide in 2020, defeating two candidates including appointed Judge Kerrie Maloney Laytin, the Democratic Party's slated candidate; serves in the Juvenile Justice Division, mainly ruling on juvenile expungement petitions, after an assignment in the Child Protection Division. Injustice Watch reports that she did not take part in the bar evaluation process in 2018, when she ran unsuccessfully in the 2nd Subcircuit, or in 2020. She told Injustice Watch she lacked the experience for a qualified rating in 2018 and that she did not take part in 2020 because her earlier negative ratings were valid for three years. A judge stays on the bench with a yes from 60 percent of voters.
Background
Cook County assistant public defender representing clients in felony cases (2010-2020); attorney at Chicago Legal Clinic assisting homeowners facing foreclosure (2010); attorney at a small firm representing insurance companies (2009-2010); attorney for the Chicago Board of Education handling truancy and expulsion hearings (2009). Law degree from IIT Chicago-Kent (2006).
Compiled from public sources: