Circuit Court of Cook County, Domestic Relations Division

Elite '09

304

510

Michael S.

Chicago, IL

3/14/2008

Kudos to the Circuit Court Clerk, Dorothy Brown. She and her minions sure have cleaned up what used to be one of the most odious and byzantine bureaucratic lairs that has ever existed: Room 802 at the Daley Center, Circuit Court of Cook County, where a person with divorce business must file motions and pleadings.

First of all, the place is no longer littered as it had been with the Runyanesque patronage trolls who used to populate and repopulate this place like Democratic rabbits. There were intelligent, well dressed people behind these counters. I heard no ebonics or dees, dems and doz.

I needed to file something in a case which the presiding judge had impounded 9 years ago, and in which nothing has been filed since. I told the counter clerk: "I want to file this under seal. The case file is impounded. It's a 1999 case. What must I do?"

I fully expected a blank stare, the hairy eyeball, a look askance, or not so subtle indignance driven by an out-of-the-ordinary request which would require more work than usual. It's not so common anymore to have case files sealed and impounded. That doesn't go on so much; the courts have become sensitive about removing matters from public record, and I had no idea how my request would be perceived or handled.

Waters parted. Supervisors appeared. People called me "Sir." Smiles were displayed. Computers were checked, and double checked. A Supervisor's Supervisor was consulted. Impoundment was confirmed. Yes, after 9 years, this file indeed was still impounded by court order. My papers could be filed under seal, no problem whatsoever.

My papers were immediately hand delivered to their destination rather than thrown in a basket to await some functionary's next round to file the usual unsealed papers. My stuff got kid-glove treatment, as did I, start to finish.

The efficiency and class was startling.

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