The Circuit Court of Cook County’s Executive Committee today ordered the reassignment of Judge Beatriz Santiago from her current assignment after the Judicial Inquiry Board (JIB) filed a complaint against her on February 6, 2015, with the Illinois Courts Commission.

The Executive Committee met February 10, 2015, to review the JIB allegation that Judge Santiago made several misrepresentations in mortgage application documents that caused the lender to believe she resided in one property when she in fact resided at another. Following a preliminary review of the allegation, the Executive Committee ordered the reassignment of Judge Santiago from hearing matters in the Traffic Section of the First Municipal District to performing only administrative duties in the office of Honorable E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District, pending any action taken by the Illinois Courts Commission.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

SPECIAL ORDER NO.: 2015-12

SUBJECT: Assignment of Judge

In order to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and to ensure the perception and reality of the highest standards of conduct, Illinois Supreme Court Rule 56 provides that the Chief Judge may temporarily assign a judge to other than judicial duties. The reasons for such assignments include, but are not limited to, a complaint being filed with the Illinois Courts Commission by the Judicial Inquiry Board or that a Ajudge has allegedly committed a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct which involves fraud or moral turpitude or threatens irreparable injury to the public, to the judicial branch of government, or to the orderly administration of justice@ or that Aa judge has been publicly implicated in conduct which, if true, would constitute impropriety or an appearance of impropriety which involves moral turpitude or threatens irreparable injury to the public, to the judicial branch of government, or to the orderly administration of justice.@  See Supreme Court Rule 56(a)(1)(2) and (3).

On February 6, 2015, the Judicial Inquiry Board filed a complaint with the Illinois Courts Commission against Judge Beatriz Santiago. The complaint alleges that beginning no later than June 2013, and continuing through March 2014, Judge Santiago, in connection with the refinancing of her mortgage on a property located on North Spaulding Avenue in Chicago, Illinois (the “Spaulding Property”), attempted to and did deceive her mortgage lender by making several misrepresentations in her mortgage application documents that caused her lender to believe she occupied the Spaulding property as her primary residence and that she intended to occupy the Spaulding property as her primary residence within 60 days of executing a mortgage agreement, when in fact she resided at another property and had no intention of establishing residency at the Spaulding property.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

The Judicial Inquiry Board having filed a complaint with the Illinois Courts Commission alleging that Judge Beatriz Santiago has committed a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct, and the alleged conduct, if true, constitutes impropriety or an appearance of impropriety which involves moral turpitude or threatens irreparable injury to the public, to the judicial branch of government, or to the orderly administration of justice, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 56 (a)(1), (2) and (3), to ensure the perception and reality of the highest standards of conduct, effective February 10, 2015, Judge Beatriz Santiago is assigned to other than judicial duties in the Office of the Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District performing administrative duties only, subject to further order of this court.

Dated this 10th day of February, 2015. This order shall be spread upon the records of this court and published.