Shannon O'Malley Removed

Shannon O'Malley, a first-term judge in the Cook County Circuit Court's Child Protection Division, was ousted by voters in the November 5, 2024 retention election, becoming the third Cook County judge in six years — and just the third in three decades — removed this way. O'Malley received 57.9% "yes" votes, short of the 60% Illinois requires for retention.

The result followed reporting by Injustice Watch that O'Malley had claimed a homeowner's property tax exemption on a home he owns in Will County, raising questions about whether he actually met the state's judicial residency requirement to live in the jurisdiction he serves. The Chicago Bar Association cited that reporting in finding O'Malley's "credibility severely lacking and his integrity highly questionable." Separately, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers criticized his courtroom management, saying delays he caused meant that, in at least one instance, a child remained in a group home longer than necessary. O'Malley was the only judge among 77 candidates on the ballot that year to receive zero recommendations from any lawyer evaluation group.