Judge John J. Mahoney, III: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Hon. John J. Mahoney, III is a judge for the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2014 and was retained in subsequent elections.

While on the bench, Mahoney has held assignments in the First and Fifth Municipal Districts of the Municipal Department and also presided over the Traffic Section.

He received a B.A. in political science from DePaul University in 1981. Mahoney went on to complete a J.D. at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1984.

Prior to joining the bench, his legal career included serving as counsel with the Peoples Energy Corporation (1991 to 1997) and as a supervisor of the Public Corruption and Financial Crimes Unit of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (1997 to 2014). His first stint with the State’s Attorney’s Office in Cook County came after he graduated from law school, during which time, Mahoney served as an assistant state’s attorney.

He has served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and as a volunteer with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Mahoney is registered as a Democrat.