Overview
- Liberty Justice Center filed a federal civil rights case in the Northern District of Illinois against the state’s high court justices over the removal of Judge James R. Brown.
- Brown was recalled to Cook County on December 15, 2025, and was taken off the bench about six weeks later by a brief order, according to the lawsuit and his counsel.
- The Cook County Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers had urged removal based on Brown’s earlier column and podcast, citing lines about “77 million Trump supporters” and “Soros-funded progressive prosecutors.”
- The complaint alleges violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments and seeks reinstatement through December 7, 2026, declaratory relief, and damages for lost pay, pension value, and reputational harm.
- Liberty Justice Center says it intends to seek a preliminary injunction to restore Brown during the case and notes the bar groups are not defendants, warning of a chilling effect on retired judges considering recall service.