A Cook County judge who made a controversial decision to release a man on electronic monitoring weeks before he killed his estranged wife is not hearing domestic violence cases due to threats he has received, according to a statement from the chief judge’s office.
Judge Thomas Nowinski on Oct. 9 denied a Cook County prosecutor’s petition to detain Constantin Beldie, 57, on accusations that he threw her to the ground and held her in his car, finding that the state didn’t meet its burden under the law for Beldie to be held in jail. Six weeks later, Beldie killed Lacramioara Beldie, 54, before he was found dead, according to police, setting off an outcry from advocates against domestic violence who called for Nowinski to be reassigned.
In a lengthy statement released by Chief Judge Tim Evans Tuesday evening, Evans said the death revealed “gaps in policies and procedures” the office is seeking to address to better protect victims of domestic violence. He also said he is reaching out to incoming State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke to “strengthen collaboration” between the two offices.
“My office is currently investigating to determine whether any employee failed to follow policies and procedures in this case,” the statement said. “We pledge to provide additional training to all judges who hear domestic violence cases and petitions for orders of protection, including the Pretrial Division judges who hear these cases on weekends.”
Evans, though, in the statement, indirectly pointed to the prosecutors on the case, and said that a “preliminary examination of this case indicate the court was provided incomplete information.” A court transcript of the Oct. 9 proceeding showed that Nowinski criticized the case work, calling it “a little sloppy.”
He wrote that judges make “difficult decisions with the best information they have.”
“While the higher courts have authority to review those decisions, interdivisional judicial transfers and assignments are never a result of a judge’s independent decision-making,” the statement said.
But because of anonymous threats, Evans said, Nowinski is not hearing cases involving domestic violence or orders of protection.
Nowinski also faced sharp criticism because he denied an emergency protective order for the mother of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins against Crosetti Brand, who is accused of stabbing Jayden to death in an attack on his mother.
Evans said his office is working to strengthen electronic monitoring protocols, including for technology that allows victims who have sought an order of protection to install software on their phone.
