A judge in Illinois has been reassigned to a traffic court following his controversial decisions in two domestic violence cases that led to the deaths of a woman and a child. Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas E. Nowinski, who was elected to the bench in 2022, had been serving in the Domestic Violence Division. However, this week, he requested to be transferred out of the division, a request that was granted. As of January 21, 2025, Nowinski will no longer handle domestic violence cases and will instead be assigned to deal with misdemeanor and traffic cases in the Third Municipal District.
This transfer follows the tragic deaths of Lacramioara Beldie and Jayden Perkins, both of which were linked to Nowinski’s decisions in the cases. On October 9, 2024, Constantin Beldie, 57, was charged with choking his wife and attempting to kidnap her. Despite the serious nature of the charges, Beldie was released on GPS monitoring. The day after his court appearance, he murdered his wife, Lacramioara, and then took his own life. The release came after a presentation by Beldie’s defense attorney, which argued that he had no history of domestic violence or violations of civil no-contact orders, and the prosecution did not object to this claim. Furthermore, a failure by a GPS technician to monitor Beldie’s movements in an exclusion zone contributed to the lack of intervention before the tragedy occurred.
In another case, on March 15, 2024, Crosetti Brand, 37, allegedly stabbed and killed his ex-girlfriend’s 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins, while also attacking the mother, who was pregnant at the time. The boy died trying to protect his mother. This incident occurred after Nowinski denied a protective order requested by the woman, despite Brand being incarcerated at the time of the request. The murder took place the day after Brand was released from prison.
The Cook County Chief Judge, Timothy C. Evans, acknowledged the need for better collaboration and improved protection for survivors of domestic violence. He expressed that the cases highlighted a failure in the system to adequately protect victims and ensure their safety. The reassignment of Judge Nowinski is seen as a response to the public outcry over his handling of these cases.
In the wake of the tragedies, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza called for Nowinski’s resignation, stating that the judge’s decisions contributed to the deaths of two individuals. She criticized the court system for providing more support to the offenders than to the victims, which, in her view, led to the fatal outcomes. Mendoza’s comments reflect the broader concerns about the effectiveness of the judicial system in addressing the needs of domestic violence victims.
While the reassignment of Judge Nowinski is seen by some as a necessary step, others argue that it is insufficient. Advocates for domestic violence survivors have called for more comprehensive reforms within the system, including better monitoring of offenders and more robust support for victims. The cases have underscored the critical need for systemic changes to ensure that individuals facing domestic violence threats are properly protected and that the judicial system takes stronger action to prevent further harm.
