Cook County chief judge speaking out on domestic violence cases as 40 new judges sworn in

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County is speaking out, after a deadly stabbing last month prompted new calls to change how domestic violence cases are handled in the county.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans is talking about what he wants to see moving forward.

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Evans swore in 40 newly elected judges, and discussed the importance of their new roles Monday.

This comes as the chief judge announced a review of cases handled by Judge Thomas Nowinski, after two of his cases resulted in tragedies.

A child was murdered protecting his mom, allegedly by a suspect who had just been released on parole.

The other case involved a Portage Park woman who police say was murdered by her husband, who was later found dead. The husband was on electronic monitoring.

"These are matters that are under review; I'll have more to say in the days ahead," Evans said.

Last week, Evans announced Nowinski would not be hearing domestic violence cases.

On Monday. Evans spoke of his efforts to improve safety for victims of domestic violence.

"The members of the public need to know they can be safe. It's not a perfect system; humans are running this system, but we are interested in closing the gaps we can," Evans said.

Earlier Monday, the new Cook County state's attorney was sworn in.

"There are gaps in the system that I hope we can work on with the incoming state's attorney," Evans said. "Electronic monitoring is part of the answer, but it's not the answer. I think there is room for improvement all over the system. And we are dedicated to it."

Each year, there are thousands of Cook County residents seeking protection from the courts.

Advocates for survivors of domestic violence say the most dangerous time for survivors is when they take legal action.