LAMBROS J. KUTRUBIS served as Cook County associate judge from 1989 until he retired in 2004. In 2002 he was suspended for six months by the Illinois Courts Commission after he admitted to several counts of judicial misconduct. Kutrubis did not disqualify himself from cases involving both the daughter of the woman he lived with, and a case involving a close personal friend, records show. He failed to list required debts and lawsuits on financial disclosure forms. And he signed the signature of a former work colleague to Kutrubis’ personal and business tax returns, making it appear his associate had reviewed the returns. Kutrubis is scheduled to collect $159,293.04 in pension payments this year.
What the judge did: Cook County Associate Judge Kutrubis falsely claimed, according to records, that a friend and former work colleague had reviewed and signed Kutrubis’ personal and business tax returns. He signed his friend’s signature on a total of 20 returns over four years. Kutrubis also failed to disqualify himself as the judge in a case involving the daughter of the woman he lived with and later married, a case that stemmed from a police raid on a bar that Kutrubis’ future wife owned. He also failed to disqualify himself in another case involving a close personal friend. And he failed to list on the annual financial disclosure forms, required of every Illinois judge, a debt he and his wife incurred, and lawsuits in which he was involved.
What the Judicial Inquiry Board said: In October, 1999, the board filed a complaint, later amended, that charged Kutrubis with violating five different provisions of the Judicial Code, based on the variety of misconduct in which he engaged.
What happened next: Kutrubis and the board jointly agreed on a statement in which he admitted his misconduct. In a statement he included with the factual summary, Kutrubis’ lawyer wrote: “Some of his difficulties arose during his calamitous marriage to a lady of very strong personality who operates taverns. His choice of partner was less than wise. However, he is now separated….his marriage is no longer a distraction. Judge Kutrubis recognizes that his wife is not a judge, and is not expected to know what it is that a judge must do and not do.”
What the Illinois Courts Commission decided: In August, 2002, the commission accepted the joint recommendation of the Judicial Inquiry Board that Kutrubis be suspended for six months.
What happened since: Kutrubis retired when his term expired in 2004. He now earns an annual pension of $159,293.04.
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