It’s a little past 11:00 am local time when the courtroom door in Waukegan, Illinois opens and Judge James “Jimmy” Booras enters. The mood is a little light since this session is not a jury trial. There are four cases, and three of them are to reschedule trial dates. A couple of words are shared between the judge and the lawyers–both the prosecutors and the defense attorneys–and laughter breaks out. You immediately see his reputation in Illinois legal circles as an earnest judge upholder of the rule of law who has earned the respect of his friends and colleagues.
At 72, Booras, who emigrated when he was 19 from Nestani-Tripolis, has practiced law in Lake County in the Chicagoland area since the 1980s and has been a judge since 1991, Lake County’s first Greek judge. He has earned his do-the-right-thing reputation. He hopes he can inspire others by leading by example.
“What everybody always reflected about Jimmy was how earnest his belief in the case,” notes lawyer colleague Jeff Pavletic. “He [is] a real warrior. He was a guy […] who knew his case, knew what the severity of the case was gonna be, and he just forged ahead.”
“It’s an awesome responsibility, protection of society, protection of the public,” said Judge Booras. “On the other hand, you deter crime and be the fort that encircles and covers society.”
He attributes his success to hard work, perseverance, respect, and the American ideal. “When I was appointed, I said, ‘only in America’.”
Earnest Work
Judge Booras did not speak much English when he first came to America. “It was a new country for me,” he told me. He hadn’t been exposed to America much through comic books, newspapers, and radio. He moved to America as a teen. In the day, he washed dishes at a restaurant and did other odd jobs to put himself through college. He attended English classes at night.
“I always wanted to [study law],” he said. “I really admired lawyers. [It] has a lot to do with my brother graduating from law school in Greece.”
Judge Booras attended Northern Illinois University and then Lewis University law school. But Lake County didn’t hire him at first, so he became a city prosecutor for Waukegan. Lake County eventually hired him to the State’s Attorney’s office.
He began building his reputation as quietly as his voice, and that’s not to say he can’t grab people’s attention. He set out to do his job, and the right thing, to the best of his ability.
Judge Booras: A Courtroom Warrior
One case that stood out to Paveltic was a trial involving reckless homicide charges. “I remember sitting in the courtroom and watching the case get tried,” he said. “It was a very contentious case. The defendant claimed he was not responsible for driving under the influence and killing somebody.
“I just remember how [Booras’s fellow attorney] and Jim and how aggressive they were in their position that the defendant had committed this crime.” Pavletic was impressed with how then-attorney Booras handled himself in the courtroom, watching the trial play out.
Another case Judge (then attorney) Booras remembered was the case of Debra Brown, the serial killer Alton Coleman’s girlfriend. Brown was let go in Illinois but was still convicted in Ohio and Indiana.
Judge Booras worked in the State’s Attorney’s office throughout the 1980s and became a judge in 1991. It took him a couple of tries until the county accepted his application. The then-3,000-strong Lake County Greek community celebrated his appointment. Fitting for the first Greek judge in the county’s history (Neighboring Cook County, where Chicago is located, already had Greek judges).
“I basically did everything in the state’s attorney’s office and I thought it would be a natural progression to apply for a judgeship,” he said.
“Everyone of Greek extraction thought I was a hero, so to speak, because I was a pioneer.”
More Greek judges have followed in his footsteps since, and the bench has diversified further.
And his favorite Greek restaurant is Dimitri’s in Deerfield, Illinois.
A Judge for the People
Judge Booras has overseen many cases, so many that he admits they blend in his memory. In 2006 he oversaw the trial of a man from the Chicago suburbs who stole $600,000 from a church and gambled it away. The lead prosecutor wanted a prison sentence, but Judge Booras sentenced him to a work-release program and probation due to the defendant’s poor health.
A recent case is the case of a man convicted of assaulting his daughter over 6 years. Judge Booras gave him a 120-year sentence, calling the defendant’s actions “monstrous”.
“For every count, it’s a mandatory minimum that you have to give them,” he said of the case. “As I was figuring out the math, I gave him 126 and the lawyers came in and said, ‘Judge, the limit is 120.’ I said, ‘You’re right, but my math game…’” He trailed off, but didn’t need to say much else.
To him, the most rewarding part of the job is when cases are resolved. He finds the arguing between lawyers the most stressful (an answer that drew laughter).
Pavletic described Judge Booras as “Approachable”, something he wanted to emulate in his career.
For advice, Judge Booras told prospective lawyers and judges to “study hard”. But he also admitted that time’s not on his side. “At 72, I don’t know how long I can go,” he laughed. He’s committed to ensuring the American justice system continues in the meantime. “The criminal justice system works very well. Once in a while, there are trends that go their own way, but the judiciary remains independent.
“I think that the law shall prevail.”
