State Court Violates Constitution by Appointing Frankfort Resident to Cook County Bench

The appointment of a longtime Frankfort resident to fill a Cook County judgeship is in violation of the Illinois Constitution, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.

Cynthia Cobbs was picked by the Illinois Supreme Court in September to fill an opening on the Cook County bench, but she's not a resident of the county, which is a requirement under the Constitution, the report said. Her home in Frankfort went on the market Oct. 14, days after the Tribune began investigating her residency.

Cobbs, a former law clerk for State Supreme Court Justice Charles Freeman, would not comment about the appointment to the Tribune. A spokesman for the court said the justices were within their rights to place Cobb on the bench, something legal experts disagree with, the report stated.

According to the report, the State Supreme Court has a questionable history of appointing candidates—mostly politically active Democrats—to the bench after they lost in elections.

According to the Illinois State Bar Association blog:

Ms. Cobbs resigned her position as Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts to accept the judicial appointment. She was the first woman and the first African American to serve as Administrative Director and her tenure as Director is the second longest since the position was established in 1960.

What do you think of Cobbs' appointment? Should she step down? Or would it be all right for her to serve on the bench if she moves to Cook County?