Chicago Judge Jails Attorney For Document Irregularity Without Explanation

gavel2Lawyers in Chicago are mystified by the actions of Cook County Associate Judge Mark Lopez, who jailed lawyer Nancy Murphy for an unknown offense. Murphy says that she had simply drafted an order and, after giving it to Lopez, was thrown into jail where she was verbally abused by Cook County jail guards and left overnight in a filthy cell.


What is particularly odd is that Lopez did not reportedly state the reason for the confinement or explain what on the document was so outrageous to warrant jail time. If Murphy’s account is accurate, Lopez should not remain on the bench for such a serious abuse.

Murphy’s allegation of being verbally abused by jail guards and called a “crack whore” should be equally investigated. For some reason, this stories describing filthy conditions in jail and abusive guards are treated as natural as the weather. There are a great number of people looking for jobs today. If you cannot serve as a guard and refrain from such abuse, it is time to give some else the opportunity. Likewise, if a jail cannot maintain clean conditions, officials in charge need to be given positions with less responsibility.

The priority, however, remains with Lopez who needs to give a clear explanation for this order.

For the full story, click here.

19 thoughts on “Chicago Judge Jails Attorney For Document Irregularity Without Explanation”

  1. I to believe he needs to be removed from the bench. He doesn’t allow you to explain your case. I believe he has it in for me. I’m pro se and he only listens to the false accusations my ex wife tells him and I tell him I have proof that its all false. He doesn’t hear me out. He has arrested me 2 times because I spoke to him without his permission and he says not in my court room. This has been on going for 3 years and nothing is resolved.

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  3. Jim,
    I guess you really believe that crap about “Hispanic Temperament” which means you’re a fool.

  4. Jim,

    The judge being an ass and being hispanic are not related behaviors.

    Unless you want to blame that whole “child prisoners for profit” scam in Pennsylvania where judges of Irish and Italian heritage (Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan) are unfit for office not because they were on the take and selling children into prison for profit, but rather find them at fault for simply being white diegos and micks – which as everyone knows is an automatic disqualification for being a judge.

    Got racism?

    You sure do.

    See, it works like this: Scalia isn’t fit to be on SCOTUS. But his being an amoral criminal supporting anti-constitutional fascist ass has less to do with his being of Italian lineage than it does with him being in Dick Cheney’s pocket and a general scumbag. In contrast, Federal Court Judge Sullivan (currently at odds with the DOJ for acting improperly in his court and hearing arguments from Prof. Turley in the IMF case) is an excellent judge based on his past performance. And it has NOTHING to do with his being black. He’s good as his job. He’d be good at his job is he was plaid. The IMF protestors should be glad they drew a good judge. Just like people who drew an unfit judge should be pissed.

    See how that works? Incompetent vs. competent. Race doesn’t have a damn thing to do with that.

  5. The Hispanic temperment is generally ruled by excessive emotion. This has no place in a Court of law. Watch any Spanish soap opera or other Spanish TV. Bullfights, machismo, gang violence.Passion may have its place but not in the Courtroom. Judges often seek these positions because the need for control and deference. His temperment is NOT suited to the bench.

  6. I too have been before Judge Lopez and he is the worst Judge I have been before. He ignores facts, treats hearsay testimony from my ex as factual when my ex has been proven to lie in testimony and violate court orders, he ignores the ruling of the appellate court and the recommendations of the office of the public guardian.

    I agree with Mike Spindell above
    “Something occurred between these two that the judge took personally. however, personal feelings have no place in the administration of a sound legal system. For this act alone he should be removed from the bench.”

    I believe I know why Judge Lopez acts as he does in my case but it is a personal issue between he and myself. It has no place influencing his decisions which will affect the life of my child.

    I believe he should be removed from the bench because he can’t separate his emotions from the facts of the case.

  7. I apologize. You are correct…not all attorneys are dirty. However, a few bad apples spoil it for all the rest. I believe that’s been true for attorneys since before the time of Shakespeare. ? Sincerely, not facetiously.

  8. CCM,

    This is not True only the Attorneys that have paid the Price can act as you say. Not all attorneys in Cook County are Dirty.

  9. We the people….need to understand that most attorneys and Judges are allowed to do whatever they want! WE have no RECOURSE!
    GOOD LUCK TO THOSE IN CROOK COUNTY!

  10. DR,

    I am in front of Judge Lopez for . . . .
    And as far as the paid attorneys not liking when I sit at the lawyers table, I am more of lawyers than most of them, and I will sit at the attorney’s table anytime I am in court.

    *********************

    Most of the Inmates I have Represented have been the most knowledgeable in post conviction remedies and procedure too bad they could not have been as knowledgeable about how to stay out of Prison to start with.

    I have no doubt that some may have issue with you.

  11. I am in front of Judge Lopez for my Post-Decree and am Pro Se and he is the best Judge I have been in front of – and I have been in front of four of them (not counting the fill-ins).

    This is definitely an issue of not hearing the full story from what I have read on many site.

    And as far as the paid attorneys not liking when I sit at the lawyers table, I am more of lawyers than most of them, and I will sit at the attorney’s table anytime I am in court.

  12. Hmm — got cut off. Many of the paid attorneys act obnoxiously, especially to the pro se clients who dare to sit at the lawyers table.

  13. Turley, you should know how bad the reporting on that article was. Did they contact the opposing side, also in the courtroom, to see if the judge was, you know, CORERCT? Did the reporter ask if this attorney has a reputation in the family law bar for things of this nature? I can tell you that none of the divorce attorneys I spoke to were at all surprised by this, and they all thought highly of Judge Lopez. And you know darn well that Judge Lopez was not free to respond to that article — they make him look like his silence is consent.

    You went to school at Northwestern so maybe you took a trip to the Daley Center and saw how informally the courts work: they still use carbon paper and the lawyers are entrusted to write up the judges orders accurately or the entire system would come to a halt. I’ve done pro bono divorces from an agency there and see how many of the paid attorneys ask.

  14. Don’t take anything that Nancy Murphy says at face value! Both sides of this story NEED to be investigated! None of the lawyers or Judges in Cook County should be trusted!

  15. The City of Chicago should be embarrassed at the level of such incompetent Judges.
    These are peoples who rely on a fair court system. Men died for the right to a fair day in court, and to hear and see such a complete disregard for the law is truly a crime.

    He is there to interpret the law not to make law. Why does know one get this? This man , and yes he is just a man , not a god as he may think. He needs to put on probation until the Illinois courts review this mans conduct.

    Guess what Mr. Lopez it’s your turn to have your day in court, how does it feel????

  16. If Lopez fails to give an adequate reason, he should be fined, ordered to pay restitution, censured for a year and lose his seat on the bench. Minimum. “Because I said so” isn’t legal cause.

  17. There are two disturbing issues raised in this case, both of which deserve attention. The first, judicial misconduct and the ability of many judges to exercise it with little penalty.
    Even if Ms. Murphy had not filled out the form per the judges instructions, that did in no way merit a night in jail. Something occurred between these two that the judge took personally. however, personal feelings have no place in the administration of a sound legal system. For this act alone he should be removed from the bench.

    The second issue is the jail system in this country. I would think a majority of our citizens in this country have no desire for properly/humanely run jail/prison facilities. They believe prisoners shouldn’t be “coddled.” Dangerous prisons have become such a cliche that anal rape becomes accepted as a feature of daily prison life. In back of this is the false belief that they and no one they know could ever go to jail and a bloodthirstyness for punishment inflamed by the MSM and DA’s career building. Ignored is the creation of an alarming recidivism rate and a felony rate that leads the industrialized world. This is not a coincidence.

  18. After hearing on Family Law Cases all day, this is how the Judge Acts.

    Link: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1553279,CST-NWS-lawyer01.article

    Lopez never offered a hint that he was angry with Murphy, and he hadn’t previously threatened to lock her up, she said. In his order, Lopez wrote he was holding Murphy in “direct civil contempt” for “ignoring this court[‘s] direct instruction” about what to include in her document.

    Heck, I thought Revelations were chapters in the Bible.

  19. Who says the “Dark Ages” ended? Off to the Chateau Cook County Jail with you for your insolence to the Crown!

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