A Cook County judge is accused in a recently-filed motion of making racist comments to a defendant and his attorney during a conference in chambers earlier this year.
Attorney Matthew Fakhoury on Friday filed a motion to substitute Judge William Hooks from presiding over the case of a defendant charged with aggravated domestic battery. The motion alleges that Hooks, who took the bench in 2008, made racist remarks about Middle Eastern men along with other derogatory comments in January.
A spokesperson for Chief Judge Tim Evans asked for comment on behalf of Hooks and the chief judge declined, saying Illinois Supreme Court rules prohibit judges from commenting on pending cases.
The defendant, Ryan Thomas, was indicted last June on four battery-related felony charges, and the case was assigned to Hooks’ courtroom, court records show.
Fakhoury appeared on behalf of Thomas for each subsequent court hearing, so Hooks was familiar with his “name and appearance,” the motion says.
On Jan. 17, Thomas and Fakhoury participated in a conference in Hooks’ chambers, along with Fakhoury’s co-counsel and a law clerk as well as the assistant state’s attorney. During this conference, the motion alleges, Hooks made “several inappropriate and derogatory comments” directed at Fakhoury and Thomas.
Hooks expressed disdain for defendants charged in domestic violence cases and suggested that all such defendants are “controlling and abusive,” according to the motion.
“Particularly, Judge Hooks showed his racism by saying that Middle Eastern men are also controlling and abusive,” the motion alleges.
Hooks referenced his service as a Marine, and said, according to the motion: “I would shoot and kill men like that from Middle Eastern countries.”
He made those comments while making eye contact with Fakhoury, who is Arab American, the motion says.
“I was shocked and then I was extremely angry and then saddened,” Fakhoury told the Tribune. “I’ve never in 20 years filed a motion like this.”
Hooks also throughout the conference compared his life as a Black man to that of Thomas’, who is also Black, as well as their respective neighborhoods.
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“Judge Hooks described his neighborhood as being rougher and grittier, and that if Mr. Thomas were ever to find himself in Judge Hooks’ neighborhood, he would get ‘jumped,’ ” the motion alleges.
Hooks repeatedly referred to Thomas as a “punk” and told him that by his age, he had served in the military, became a licensed attorney and was working at a law firm, according to the motion. He also commented, “Let’s see what the boys in County do to him,” the motion said, implying violence in the Cook County Jail.
“There’s no place for brazen discriminatory comments like this in our judicial system,” Fakhoury said.
The matter is scheduled for a hearing Thursday.
The instance is not the first time Hooks has found himself in hot water. In 2018, Hooks was temporarily reassigned to administrative duties and referred to anger management counseling.
At the time Chief Judge Tim Evans said Hooks was “acting in such a manner that created a hostile work environment for another judge.” It did not happen in a courtroom, the chief judge said in a release.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com
