In re Marriage of Cummings

2022 IL App (1st) 211507, 209 N.E.3d 1010, 463 Ill. Dec. 356
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 20, 2022
Docket1-21-1507
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2022 IL App (1st) 211507 (In re Marriage of Cummings) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Marriage of Cummings, 2022 IL App (1st) 211507, 209 N.E.3d 1010, 463 Ill. Dec. 356 (Ill. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

2022 IL App (1st) 211507

FIRST DISTRICT SIXTH DIVISION May 20, 2022

No. 1-21-1507

In re MARRIAGE OF ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of SHAWN A. CUMMINGS, ) Cook County ) Petitioner-Appellant, ) No. 2017 D 000909 ) and ) Honorable ) Jeanne R. Cleveland-Bernstein, ALMA CUMMINGS, ) Robert W. Johnson, and ) Myron F. Mackoff, Respondent-Appellee. ) Judges Presiding.

JUSTICE HARRIS delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Presiding Justice Pierce and Justice Oden Johnson concurred with the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

¶1 Petitioner, Shawn A. Cummings, appeals the trial court’s judgment denying his motion to

vacate the dissolution of marriage judgment and the parties’ agreement to allocate parental

responsibilities. On appeal, Shawn contends that the trial court should have granted his motion where

the judge who entered those judgments had earlier recused herself and, as a result, any orders

subsequently entered by her are void. For the following reasons, we affirm.

¶2 I. JURISDICTION

¶3 The trial court denied Shawn’s motion to vacate on November 1, 2021. Shawn filed his notice

of appeal on November 22, 2021. Accordingly, this court has jurisdiction pursuant to Illinois Supreme

Court Rule 301 (eff. Feb. 1, 1994) and Rule 303 (eff. July 1, 2017), governing appeals from final

judgments entered below. No.1-21-1507

¶4 II. BACKGROUND

¶5 Shawn and Alma were married on June 30, 2012. Their son was born on January 9, 2016. On

February 1, 2017, Shawn filed a petition for dissolution of marriage, and Alma subsequently filed a

counter-petition for dissolution of marriage. The case was assigned to Judge Jeanne R. Cleveland-

Bernstein (Judge Bernstein). By all accounts, the proceedings were contentious. The case was first

set for trial in November 2020. Six days before the trial was to commence, Shawn dismissed his

petition and the cause continued on Alma’s counterpetition. Given the long history of litigation in this

case, we set forth only those facts necessary for the resolution of the issues in this appeal.

¶6 On February 21, 2021, Shawn filed a petition for substitution of judge for cause. Therein, he

alleged that the totality of Judge Bernstein’s comments and statements were of such character that a

neutral observer would question the judge’s ability to “exercise fair judgment” in the case. According

to the affidavit of Mr. Steven S. Russo, Shawn’s counsel, Judge Bernstein repeatedly interrupted him

using “vulgar and profane language” that was “unmistakably intended to intimidate, threaten, and

silence” counsel. The petition alleged that Judge Bernstein “clearly, continually, and increasingly

embarked on a course of conduct” that would deny Shawn a fair and impartial hearing.

¶7 Shawn’s contentions regarding his petition for substitution of judge, as well as his contentions

on appeal, primarily rely on court proceedings that took place from February 10, 2021, through

February 22, 2021. However, the report of proceedings for those hearings are not in the record on

appeal nor is there a bystander’s report in lieu of the report of proceedings. Because we will need to

refer to details of these proceedings, we set forth the following events as recounted by Mr. Russo and

Ms. Kimberly Anderson (Alma’s counsel) at the hearing on the petition.

-2- No.1-21-1507

¶8 Mr. Russo stated that at a hearing on February 10, 2021, Judge Bernstein announced that she

was “sick of this case” and “I should recuse myself.” She was “enraged” with Mr. Russo and

suspended the Zoom conference to step away and compose herself. Mr. Russo had explained to her

that he instructed Shawn not to appear at the hearing because he had medical issues and Mr. Russo

felt that his appearance would not be necessary. The judge told Mr. Russo that she was “tired of your

bulls***.” Her tone of voice was “aggressive” and “intimidating” and “demonstrated that she had

improper preconceptions about” Shawn and Mr. Russo.

¶9 At the Zoom conference on February 22, 2021, Mr. Russo informed Judge Bernstein that he

was filing a petition for substitution of judge for cause. Judge Bernstein immediately interrupted him,

“screaming” and telling him that “the whole purpose for cause is ex parte communications, which I

have not had.” Mr. Joseph Taconi, the guardian ad litem for Shawn and Alma’s son, then inquired

whether the trial dates would be stricken as a result. Judge Bernstein responded that it was not her

case anymore and “I want every piece of paper on this case out of my chambers.” She then terminated

the Zoom conference.

¶ 10 Ms. Anderson explained that when Judge Bernstein was informed of the petition for

substitution of judge, the trial had already been delayed four times. Each time Shawn failed to appear

on the date set for trial, the judge continued the matter to another date over Ms. Anderson’s objection.

When the court ordered Shawn to appear on February 16, 2021, but he failed to do so, the judge was

“angry.” Ms. Anderson admitted to also bearing the brunt of her anger when “something wasn’t done

correctly.” Judge Bernstein “demands that you appear, and you tell her the truth, and she doesn’t feel

like you are, yeah she was angry about it. But never once did she prejudge the case.”

-3- No.1-21-1507

¶ 11 Judge Bernstein did step away to compose herself, and she did state that she should recuse

herself. But when she returned, the proceedings resumed “like normal.” The parties set another

pretrial date for February 22, 2021. They had agreed that Alma and their son would relocate to Ireland,

and they planned to work out a schedule on February 22. However, on February 21, 2021, Mr. Russo

filed a petition for substitution of judge for cause. At the hearing on February 22, 2021, Judge

Bernstein stated that “she was sick of this case.” She also said the case was no longer hers and

“goodbye,” but she did not say she was recusing herself.

¶ 12 After the February 22 hearing, Judge Bernstein signed a form titled “ORDER REGARDING

SUBSTITUTION OF JUDGE OR RECUSAL.” The form order contained one box indicating that a

petition for substitution of judge had been filed, and another box indicating that “the assigned judge

*** recused himself/herself pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 63(c).” The box stating that a petition

for substitution of judge for cause had been filed was checkmarked. That box further indicated the

petition “has been granted” and the matter transferred for reassignment. The order stated that “every

pleading and exhibit on Calendar 64 is hereby stricken.” The box indicating that the judge was

recusing herself was not checked.

¶ 13 Ms. Anderson was confused by the order because it seemed as if Judge Bernstein had granted

the petition “against herself,” which was not possible. She communicated with the clerks, and she

copied Mr. Russo and Mr. Taconi on her communications. Judge Bernstein then entered another order

for “Transfer, Assignment, and Reassignment.” The order indicated that the cause was being assigned

to the Presiding Judge for a hearing on the petition for substitution of judge for cause. It also provided

that “Every Pleading & Exhibit on Calendar 64 is Hereby Stricken.”

-4- No.1-21-1507

¶ 14 On February 26, 2021, Shawn filed a motion to clarify the court’s orders of February 22, 2021.

He argued that Judge Bernstein’s first order indicated that the case was no longer hers and the trial

dates were stricken.

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Bluebook (online)
2022 IL App (1st) 211507, 209 N.E.3d 1010, 463 Ill. Dec. 356, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-marriage-of-cummings-illappct-2022.