Iris Martinez Is Seeking Re-Election For Clerk Of The Circuit Court Of Cook County

Iris Martinez is seeking re-election for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOSE LOPEZ.
Iris Martinez is seeking re-election for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOSE LOPEZ.

Iris Martinez Is Seeking Re-Election For Clerk Of The Circuit Court Of Cook County

By Tia Carol Jones

As Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Iris Martinez is the keeper of the records. She wants to work toward a more transparent office.

Helping people has always been a passion of Martinez’. She started off working for the City of Chicago. She worked for Mayor Richard Daley and went to Springfield, which is where she said she caught the bug for political office. She was an Illinois State Senator for almost 20 years.

Martinez has been the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County since 2020. She said serving in the role has been a real eye-opening experience. She acknowledged that the justice system is not easy for people of color. She wanted to be an important asset to the people in the community and let them know there was someone in the office who looked like them and would make sure they had the necessary resources and services.

During her term, Martinez has opened a call center, launched an expungement center, opened a domestic violence survivors center, and hosted Clerks in the Community, which brings clerks to different community events to inform people about expungements, legal aid and child support. More than 550 people have been hired by the Clerk’s Office and the office has ensured that people have opportunities for lateral and upward mobility.

“The wellbeing of my clerks is the most important part of that job because a courthouse cannot open up without a clerk; a judge cannot do anything without a clerk,” Martinez said.

There are 38 employees that are hired at the Call Center. More than 300 calls have been handled at the center since it opened. The Clerk’s website has also been updated, redesigned and made more user-friendly. Martinez opened the Domestic Violence Survivors Center in the Markham Courthouse because she wanted to provide a safe space for those experiencing domestic violence.

The Clerk’s Office has been laying a foundation while addressing a lot of office backlogs, including expungements and warrants. The office has been working with community-based organizations to give residents access to the expungement process.  Martinez also has been working with Cabrini Green Legal Aid so they can have access to legal services.

“It’s very important when you talk about access to justice, we’re also talking about access to a good job, access to a good education, scholarships and the trades ... unless your record is clear, you will not be picked up by any trade. That to me was very important to make sure expungements happen because people are looking for jobs,” Martinez said.

Martinez has created a team of people with the expertise to ensure the Clerk’s Office is professional and understands the judicial system. She acknowledges that more work needs to be done.

Early voting began on Monday, March 4th, and election day is Tuesday, March 19th. To find your polling place, visit www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections/polling-places.

For more information about Iris Martinez and her re-election campaign, visit www.irisforclerk.com.

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