Toomin, 85, succumbed to cancer a little more than six months after he retired in December after a decadeslong career that began on 26th Street as a lawyer and then judge after he was first elected in 1980.As a judge, he cultivated a reputation as a conscientious decision-maker and earned the affectionate nickname of the “Toominator.
“Michael Toomin was a man of both great intellect and great compassion. He was a judge’s judge and a dedicated public servant, who knew the law and had a deep and abiding respect for our community and our system of justice,” Chief Judge Tim Evans said in a statement.As the juvenile court presiding judge, Toomin attracted criticism by some criminal justice reform advocates who viewed his stance on juvenile justice as too heavy-handed, more focused on punishment than rehabilitation.
“They do weigh on you,” Toomin said, speaking particularly about a decision to detain two 12-year-old boys facing gun charges despite a Cook County ordinance that said children that young shouldn’t be locked up, “but somebody has to make those decisions.”
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