Chicago Politicos to a Good Judge: Shut Up, and Take It

by John Kass

January 14, 2026

Two bar groups of Chicago lawyers—suits who suck up to the Democratic machine—are trying to silence a good common sense Judge James Brown for speaking the truth.

His sin?

He spoke to me. And once retired he wrote a column for my website JohnKassNews.com

After he was retired after 30 years in the Cook County criminal justice system Judge James Brown spoke his mind.

Let me repeat that. He was retired—no longer a judge– and I wanted my listeners and readers to benefit by his sound judgement. He spoke his mind on my podcast The Chicago Way. And he wrote a great column based on his decades of common-sense experience. He titled it “His Judgement Cometh and That Right Soon”

I chose the photograph of George Soros, the sort of thing that triggered the jacobins in my newsroom when I dared write about him years ago. No doubt this also angered the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Cook County Bar Association—and the political bosses.  I’m speculating  that the column and the podcast angered Cook County Democratic chair Toni Preckwinkle and Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

In his column for John Kass News, what upset Judge Brown was all the lawfare being suffered by President Donald Trump and were the revolving door bail bond policies that emptied the jail and kept releasing repeat violent offenders who attacked and hunted the most vulnerable. If only he condemned Trump, I doubt that the liberal Cook County Bar and the left wing Chicago Council of Lawyers would have been upset.

Now the lawyers want the Illinois Supreme Court to permanently silence the good, honorable judge.

What really frosts them is that Judge Brown knows their hearts. Judges get political credits from the Democrat Party for releasing black and Latino repeat violent offenders out of Cook County Jail where they can prowl the streets looking for victims. And Boss Toni has been bragging for years about how she reduced the jail population.

But Preckwinkle, Gov. Pritzker and the worthless Chicago newspapers rarely focus on the victims of crime. The victims are minority women mostly, black women and Latino women forced by circumstance to use public transportation to get to and from work, and also that young woman many of you have heard about, Bethany Magee, who was burned alive on the CTA.

The man who allegedly burned the young woman, Lawrence Reed, had been arrested some 7O times without doing serious time. According to witnesses, after he lit her on fire he screamed “Burn bitch burn!!!”

If only Judge Brown had written an anti-Trump screed, The Democrat politicos and judges and bar associations would have left this one alone.


This monster should have been behind bars a long time ago.

Why would they want Judge Brown silenced? Because they’re standing for re-election and the Democrats rely on votes from minority women. Without the proection of black and Latino women there would not be a Preckwinkle or a Pritzker. I have no proof Pritzker and Boss Toni have pushed back on me and Judge Brown, but I have more than 40 years of experience covering these weasels, and weasel lawyers who cozy up to powerful Democrat politicians.

Yes, I’m angry. The leftist mob supporting Soros tried to shut me up when I was at “the paper” which is why I started johnkassnews.com. I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.

My dear friend Thom Serafin joined WGN producer Jeff Carlin and we talked about the judge when the arrogance of the pharisees on the latest edition of The Chicago Way podcast.

Judge Brown was a private citizen when he wrote his column for me and appeared on the podcast. The very bar groups asking for removal from the bench found him fair and impartial in prior evaluations. There was zero chance they would have tried silencing him if his column was anti-Trump. Now they’re passively-aggressively implying Brown was transphobic and racist. They have no shame. And they expect the Illinois Supreme Court to do their dirty work.

“But you know, I picked up the Skyline publication in my hallway of my apartment building yesterday,” Serafin said on The Chicago Way podcast. “And there’s a front-page story about a man attacking and robbing a pregnant woman in the loop while on electronic monitoring, okay? It’s a convicted felon and before the judge is over and over again, and the, you know, the state’s attorney said, please don’t let him out again. But Judge Susan Ortiz said he can go and just put a monitoring thing on him again. I mean, Judge Charles Burns said, hey, you know, this guy has violated these rules over and over again.

““And I judge like that. So unfortunately, I, you know, I think it’s ridiculous. I think it lacks the intelligence to even want to discuss it.
“And to me, it’s the First Amendment. And we need more judges to speak louder about what is and isn’t working in our system today. And less of the herd mentality that we have right now.”

From The Chicago Way: Chicago Way w/John Kass: The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Illinois’ judiciary, Jan 12, 2026

Reader reaction to podcast after Jeff posted the podcast on Tuesday.

   JAMES JENNINGS

Public and the citizens be damned! By the reaction of the bar association and the Preckwinkle sycophants, John, you and Judge Brown are definitely “flying over the target.” Public, they have ruled you can not carry on public transportation, you are at the mercy of the criminal animals and their judicial masters. How dare you expose it.
Susan Ortiz before being a judge was a run of the mill defense lawyer who focused on traffic tickets and misdemeanors, however she had the most qualifiers if one wants to be a Cook County Circuit Court judge, not a legal scholar, but was a Hispanic and female and Democratic backed.
Better to know the judge than to know the law. (Irish proverb.)

Enrique Diaz

A guy was just charged with shooting two individuals, one of who died, on a CTA train a couple days ago. The murderer was attempting to stab a man when a spectator pulled out a handgun to stop him. The gun holder dropped the gun and the Stabber picked it up and shot him and shot and killed the guy he was trying to stab, killing him. Not everyone carrying a gun should be allowed to carry a gun, especially if they don’t know weapon retention. Then again…maybe we need to ban knives…also.

JAMES JENNINGS

Ban vehicles in Minnesota. 

George Kages

I practiced law as a Cook County trial attorney for 35 years. I can confirm that, among lawyers, very few, and I mean VERY FEW judges were considered “wise jurists.” I remember one judge who made sure that his Harvard diploma was prominently displayed in his chambers- but out on the bench, he would consistently make the worse decisions and rulings possible. We called him “the dumbest ‘smart’ person in Cook County.” Most attorneys know that judges are purely political animals, appointed for that reason and not for their legal brilliance.

The Bar associations are filled with Democrats and the boss politicians don’t want to risk their political power. So they ask the state supreme court to silence a judge who was retired.  They want me silenced too. You’d think the bar associations could find a few real lawyers among them, but all they want is silence. Isn’t that how authoritarian regimes run things? With silence.

Think of the silence of the hospital burn ward.

Think of Bethany Magee.

And Pritzker and Boss Toni smirking.

 

-30-

The Honorable Judge James R. Brown, now retired, worked for 30 years in the Cook County Criminal Justice System. He began his career as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney. He then worked for 8 years as a Criminal Defense Attorney. Brown was then elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2002 serving as a Circuit Court Judge for 18 years before retiring.

Comments 20

    1. PLEASE,
      Compile a list of the worst Judges.
      The Judges who don’t care about the victims and their families, the Judges who disregard the prosecution’s recommendations for incarceration.
      The Judges who just consider race as a factor for freedom.
      We know that Preckwinkle, Pritzger and other left wing politicians don’t give a damn about us. They have no chance of getting my vote.
      The Judges however, skate with little scrutiny. Put them on notice that the list will be released and published.
      Shine a light on the incompetent and the corrupt. Shine a light on those who only care about their seats and not the people who they are elected by.
      PLEASE.

  2. Judge Brown spoke the truth. The same groups demanding his ouster supported the judge as a jurist in the past. Thanks Honorable Judge Brown, and John Kass.

  3. Thank you John Kass for this excellent and courageous column. Left-wing bullying of journalists extends across the nation, as we see in Oregon where attacks on federal law enforcement are barely mentioned by local media. In Portland, the weepy chief of police is enjoying overwhelming praise after openly shedding tears for 2 violent gang members who were shot while trying to kill Border Patrol agents. He babbled about “injustice of victim blaming” while his bosses demand removal of all federal police. Oregon’s one-party system demands total agreement with Chief Bob Day, and no one dares criticize his scripted dramatics. It’s a frightening and disgusting epidemic of mass neurosis. Groupthink used to be part of dystopian science fiction; now we see it in all 50 states. . . https://nypost.com/2026/01/10/us-news/portland-police-chief-chokes-up-while-confirming-tren-de-aragua-ties-in-cbp-shooting/

  6. Thank you Judge Brown for standung up for truth and justice and John for supporting him. This attack on a retired, common-sense judge needs broader awareness nationally!
    On the Progressive insanity, remember that their minions (particularly AWFLs) were trained by the K-12 public education systems in primarily Blue states and their Progressive college professors to think emotionally, not rationally. That’s why the Progressive leadership continue to drive emotional narratives (mostly built on untruths) to incite the emotions of their adherents to make legacy media news clips to sway the gullible and unsuspecting. Rational thinking moms don’t spend their day interfering with law enforcement against criminals that could get them incarcersted or killed, but about how to be there for their children. BTW John, I suggest using AWFUL instead of AWFL (Angry White Female Urban Liberals)! You generally don’t find many outside cities!

  7. The cesspool is alive and well in Cook and Illinois. Will someone please call the septic service!
    Private citizen and they seek disbarment, stop his ability to still practice?
    Retribution sayeth the Lord
    Is Mine. Guess Toni and the Gov want to assert their lordship.

  10. This is speaking truth to power; for real, not pro forma and not to virtue signal! The consequences are real too, not performative. I hope the courage is rewarded more than it’s punished.

  12. The Left’s ideology and desperation are akin to that last manifested in Jonestown- but without any single individual in leadership. Few there will likely self-deport or pass on the Kool-Aid that awaits.
    Government schools that are the indoctrination camps are much of that cancer’s base. We ignore at our disadvantage.

  13. I’m confused; perhaps naive as well. Now as a private citizen, aren’t Judge Brown’s opinions protected under the First no matter if the good Judge is a racist and transphobic or not? So I understand that the left wing commies in the Chicago bar are pissed – and that’s their right as well – but how exactly are they going to go about “silencing” the Judge if he chooses not to be “silenced?”

  15. Mr. Kleinman,

    I was a bit confused myself but what was left out of John’s column was the fact that Judge Brown was recalled to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a judge for one year (until December 6, 2026) to handle a backlog of cases. That’s why the two bar groups have petitioned the Supreme Court.

      1. Only in Chicago, where an actual ex- convict and Illinois Department Of Corrections inmate sits in a judges seat could two bar associations decry the appointing of an ACTUAL qualified juror to the bench. They don’t call it “Crook County” fer nuthin’! Maybe if Judge Brown could cheat on his taxes or get arrested for beating up a rideshare driver…but then again, maybe not. Judicial advocates, yes judges like Ortiz and her ilk actually have supporters, like to excuse their legal incompetence by claiming their decisions are bound by Illinois
        ” Safe-T Act” . They absolutely have to put criminals back on the streets since the law says so. What a crock of bullshit. Democrat judges in Illinois routinely defy federal laws, applying them as they please. Local bar associations never call for any discipline any county judges, even the one who threw a set of keys at a State’s Attorney a couple of years ago. Federal judges, who are really legally appointed activists also routinely make their decisions based on their party lines. A satirical website posted a headline
        ” Trump resigns in order to appoint himself to the more powerful position of Federal Judge. The lawsuit industrial complex in Cook County is a thriving billion dollar business second to the Weed business in that city. Judge Brown certainly deserves his appointment since it may be the only way you’ll ever see a competent jurist on a county bench. A knowledgeable, independent minded judge like Brown is not welcome in Chicago. We know he would never be placed on a Democrat ballot, at least in “Crook County”.

  16. Judge Brown is being hassled by the local bar groups and by the local pols due to their lust for power, to hold on to their jobs and cowardice. I must also I add that the political partisanship is exactly what George Washington warned about. They are more loyal to the party over their own citizens, city, county, or nation.

    To all our NBC, and Fox friends who keep it on an IV drip, these news groups are stenographers for the parties, but more than that oligarchs, like Soros, who have far too much say in our public and private affairs.

    Preckwinkle, Pritzker, all of dem elected officials have no problelem with violence against their constituents. And these fools will vote form the, because they’re “ fighting Trump”. Trump was the best thing to happen to Pritzker as he will likely get reelected due to this ICE silliness and the shooting of lesbian protestors in the street whil they bare apprehending cooks and landscapers.

    Pritzker gave 26 million to meathead Darren Bailey so he could get on the radio. Ken Griffin backed the mayor of Aurora because he was going to give him a sweetheart deal on a cell tower so he could better manipulate the market and skim a few pennies off of each transaction.

    Citizens United has caused lots of trouble as our political offices are bought by oligarchs and they get accommodations that come at taxpayers expense.

    Judge Brown can “shut up and take it”, and keep his judgeship, or he can continue to speak out. Politicians are cowards and will step over dead bodies to keep their jobs. CTU obviously cares little about the kids who are shot coming to and from school. Pritzker cares even less.

    Keep speaking out judge. We need reforms to put in term limits, and we need to publicly fund campaigns and put in term limits. We also need transparency and a robust sharing of public information and audits.

    This silliness has got to stop.

    As long as we keep harping on partisan politics and let them keep accepting legal bribery, both nationally and logically, this will continue.

    Can anyone honestly say either party is doing a good job?

  17. Good Evening:

    I find this to be appalling! John, I was a young attorney who was working in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and was eventually assigned to the Juvenile Division and my 1st chair in my calendar was James Brown. He was such a good attorney and took me under his wing teaching me the ropes in the office. Not just the Law but the nuances of the Judges and the Office.

    I was raised downstate Illinois and was fortunate in clerking for a great man, Mr. Anthony Fornelli who assisted in my getting hired in the State’s Attorney’s Office. James Brown became an mentor to me by talking about Justice and the role of the Prosecutor in the Cook County Court system. He talked about the cases that where just going by the books was not doing justice. As a prosecutor you have such power to affect people lives especially in the juvenile system.

    I left the office after Seven Years for a plethora of reasons but the main reason was because the higher you went the more political it became. I was fortunate again to be hired by my College Room mate and started to do a little Criminal Defense work and again ran across Judge Brown. Again he had such integrity and was one of the knowledgeable Jurist I appeared before as an attorney. In listening to your podcast and reading your stories on Judge Brown I was flabbergasted. Here is a man that devoted his life to the law and to the justice system and he was and is being crucified by the so-called “Chicago Press” and its bar associations.

    I just felt like I had to speak up for a mentor and great Jurist as he is pilloried by many in the legal community and the rags calling themselves newspapers in this town.

    Mr. Kass please keep up the good work and exposing the problems with the New Chicago Way.

    PS. I have been going to Joseph’s for all my meat for years and as an honorary Greek I enjoyed your series on your father so much that I have immersed myself in reading about the modern Greek history. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

    Chuck Bell

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