Judicial Candidate for 5th Subcircuit wants more relatable judges on the bench

Jenetia Marshall is a candidate for Cook County Circuit Court 5th Judicial Subcircuit. Photo provided by Melanie Brown.
Jenetia Marshall is a candidate for Cook County Circuit Court 5th Judicial Subcircuit. Photo provided by Melanie Brown.

Judicial Candidate for 5th Subcircuit wants more relatable judges on the bench

By Tia Carol Jones
Jenetia Marshall has been practicing law for more than 18 years. Marshall believes that judges are public servants. For her the ultimate act of public service is to become a member of the judiciary. That is why she is running for Cook County 5th Judicial Subcircuit. The 5th Judicial Subcircuit encompasses 26th Street to 75th Street and Lake Michigan to Western Avenue.

Marshall has devoted her entire career, both pre-law and law, to public service. She has worked as a bilingual medical case manager on the West side of Chicago, as well as a direct service case manager, with private agencies, contracted through the Department of Children and Family Services. She also has worked in the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, and currently works as a Statewide Compliance Administrator for the Department of Children & Family Services.

For Marshall, becoming a judge is a natural progression. She believes her perspective would add something unique and is really needed on the bench. She believes that judges bring a lot of who they are to the bench. She has been a single mother and raised a son, as well as raising a daughter with special needs, and believes it allows her to relate to the general public. “I sort of consider myself as a change agent. I have sort of placed myself in positions, or careers or transitioned, based on need to some extent,” she said.

In her work as a program manager at Northeastern Illinois University, she was instrumental in implementing education programs for students who needed mentorship to go through to high school. During that work, she encountered families who were in the child protection system who expressed their concerns about not feeling represented in the system. It led her to become a social worker. She also became a licensed specialized foster parent and has seen every facet of that system.

Through her work as a case manager, Marshall saw families in court who looked like her but didn’t have legal representation who looked like them. She decided to go to law school and came back to those same courtrooms, on the other side of the table, providing advocacy from a different perspective.  “I’m a public servant at heart, I always have been. Feeling the need to be part of something greater than myself, is something that has always been instilled in me,” she said.

Marshall believes that the bench should be diversified as it pertains to race, sex and ethnicity, as well as knowledge, background and experience. While she also believes that a judge’s ultimate responsibility is to protect the public, it should be done with compassion, respect and integrity, ensuring that equality is something that anyone who comes before the bench receives. Marshall believes her knowledge, background and experience would make her an asset on the bench.

“I’m an everyday person, just like the people who appear before judges. I come from an everyday background, I’ve lived an everyday life,” she said. “It’s time for people of color to see people on the bench they can identify with.”
For more information on Jenetia Marshall and her campaign, visit https://marshall4judge.square.site.

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