Kathy Flanagan

Kathy Flanagan, a Cook County, Illinois Circuit Court judge, was referred to the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board after attorney Brad Schneiderman, a partner at Johnson & Bell, was handcuffed to a chair in a courthouse hallway during a May 7, 2024 hearing. According to accounts, Flanagan told Schneiderman to stop talking and ordered attorneys to step back while he was arguing a motion; Schneiderman walked toward the gallery muttering before turning back to the bench, after which a deputy took him to a back hallway and handcuffed him to a chair — without Flanagan first finding him in contempt. Flanagan later told deputies to let Schneiderman go, and he returned to the courtroom.

Flanagan disputes the characterization of the incident, saying Schneiderman "became disruptive over a ruling on a motion" and that she never ordered him handcuffed, but rather wanted him removed for a "time-out." The Judicial Inquiry Board's investigation was ongoing as of the most recent reporting, with Flanagan remaining on the bench.