Northern District of IllinoisTrials of corrupt former governors of Illinois, Chicago officials who rigged city hiring, individuals who supported foreign terrorism, international drug smugglers, bosses of Chicago’s violent drug-trafficking street gangs, corporate executives who cheated public shareholders, and organized crime bosses who were responsible for notorious murders ― these are among the recent, successful prosecutions that distinguish the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. While earning a reputation built over decades for battling organized crime and aggressively prosecuting public corruption, the federal prosecutor’s office in Chicago continues to uphold that tradition, even as its top priorities now also include anti-terrorism, violent crime associated with narcotics and street gangs, health care fraud and cybercrime. And extensive efforts are dedicated to providing assistance and restitution to victims of crime. In the civil arena, in addition to defending the United States against all varieties of civil claims, The U.S. Attorney’s Office recovers hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to the United States and penalties from companies and individuals who defraud federal programs. Among recent examples are judgments against an insurance company that discriminated against pregnant women and pharmacies that cheated Medicare. Read more... Show
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (in case citations, N.D. Ill.) is the federal trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois. Appeals from the Northern District of Illinois are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). The court is divided into two geographical divisions: The eastern division includes Cook, DuPage, McHenry, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Lake, and Will counties. Its sessions are held in Chicago and Wheaton. The western division includes Boone, Carroll, De Kalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago. Its sessions are held in Freeport and Rockford. The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is John R. Lausch Jr. since November 22, 2017. History[edit]The Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, one of four locations where the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois holds sessions. The United States District Court for the District of Illinois was established by a statute passed by the United States Congress on March 3, 1819, 3 Stat. 502.[1][2] The act established a single office for a judge to preside over the court. Initially, the court was not within any existing judicial circuit, and appeals from the court were taken directly to the United States Supreme Court. In 1837, Congress created the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, placing it in Chicago, Illinois and giving it jurisdiction over the District of Illinois, 5 Stat. 176.[2] The Northern District itself was created by a statute passed on February 13, 1855, 10 Stat. 606, which subdivided the District of Illinois into the Northern and the Southern Districts.[2] The boundaries of the District and the seats of the courts were set forth in the statute:
The district has since been re-organized several times. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois was created on March 3, 1905, by 33 Stat. 992,[2] by splitting counties out of the Northern and Southern Districts. It was later eliminated in a reorganization on October 2, 1978, which replaced it with a Central District, 92 Stat. 883,[2] formed primarily from parts of the Southern District, and returning some counties to the Northern District. The Northern District of Illinois, which contains the entire Chicago metropolitan area, accounts for 1,531 of the 1,828 public corruption convictions in the state between 1976 and 2012, almost 84%, also making it the federal district with the most public corruption convictions in the nation between 1976 and 2012.[3] Cases[edit]It is one of the busiest federal trial courts in the nation. Famous cases have included those of Al Capone and the Chicago Eight.[4] Current judges[edit]As of October 4, 2022:
Vacancies and pending nominations[edit]
Former judges[edit]
Chief judges[edit]Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge. A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position. When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire on what has since 1958 been known as senior status or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982. Succession of seats[edit]
List of U.S. Attorneys since 1857[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Is the Northern District of Illinois a federal court?The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is the third largest district court in the U.S. The Northern District of Illinois is comprised of two divisions and stretches across 18 counties, covering an area of nearly 10,100 square miles, with a population of 9.3 million people.
Why would I get a letter from United States District Court?In a broader sense, U.S. Attorney's Offices issue target letters when they believe that they have sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges in federal district court.
How do I file in the Northern District of Illinois?Click Here to Login Directly into CM/ECF System
All new cases must be filed in paper. For e-filing assistance, please call our Help Desk at 312-582-8727 or 312-435-5671. Our help desk staff can assist you if you: have lost your e-filing account login or password, or.
Where is the Northern District of Illinois?Federal Court hearings within the Northern District of Illinois are held in two locations. The Eastern Division is located in Chicago at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. The Western Division is located in Rockford at the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse.
|