"The Robing Room: IL State Judges

Hon. Mark J. Lopez	See Rating Details
Associate Judge Circuit Court
Cook County Cook Judicial Circuit	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 3.0 - 6 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 13 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Mark J. Lopez

Comments

Litigant

Comment #: IL4327
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Lopez has caused harm to countless vulnerable women, children and animals. He doesn't care about facts, supports dishonest and abusive men and thoughtlessly imposes barbaric orders outside the law.

If you have a vapid blond lawyer you might stand a chance.

Other

Comment #: IL4293
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
My name is Cameron Williams from Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Does anyone have access to or information on the whereabouts of the Hon. Mark J. Lopez? Please reach out to me at occrptex@proton.me. Thank you.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: IL4196
Rating:2.0

Comments:
My name is Michael Berry. I had him removed. He did a lot more than just put an attorney in jail on criminal contempt of court. I just caught up to him. Happy to discuss. 630-235-1770. He actually said in his court room to a jury box full of German school children, "The great thing about my job is no one can touch me!"

Litigant

Comment #: IL4183
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge recently retired. He now reviews negative reviews about him and has them removed from the internet if they mention his dealings with a specific dirty politician. [Redacted by Ed.] Also, it’s well known that he put a female attorney in jail for nonsensical reasons and essentially tried to have her disbarred. That decision was later overturned. (This information is available in the Chicago Sun Times.) [Redacted by Ed.]

Other

Comment #: IL4008
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This is the worst Judge you would ever come across. Dealing with him and his coordinator Beatriz Garcia was terrible. The coordinator wouldn’t send all of my evidence to the judge and always gave me attitude. The evidence Judge Lopez did receive he did not consider them or look into them, on the court order where he dismissed the case he wrote “ I was alleging that my child’s mother suffer from substance abuse”. To allege something that means you’re stating someone is doing something without providing proof. All provided proof to support everything I shared. This Judge do not care about the children’s well being at all! He don’t even deserve 1 star.

Other

Comment #: IL3905
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Lopez seems to care less about the matter of children's well-being. he seems tired and irritated with his job overall. he takes zero time to look at real evidence or any documentation for that matter. he talks to you rudely and smug and like someone said below he makes his mind up early on about situations without caring about what really happened and or is taking place. my child is being exposed to Sexual advances by his mothers other older son there is video proof including my son saying it. his computer for elearning his internet searches of him asking "is my mom a killer" what more proof and evidence do you need? all I can say is ill sue the city and Dcfs for this in civil court. the system and people like this man are ruining children by turning the other cheek and its sad.

Other

Comment #: IL3877
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This Judge is extremely bias towards men and does not rule based on fact.He allowed a scorned woman to set a Child Support payment on her x-husband with no documentation or his earnings and he was working part time at the time. When the X filed a motion to adjust while showing proof, the man was still denied...facts and documentation ignored.

Other

Comment #: IL3864
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Terrible judge!!! He granted an OP to a known abuser, forced the mother out of their house and have the abuser custody of their children.

Litigant

Comment #: IL3829
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This is the worst Judge I ever dealt with. He don’t care about your case. He don’t acknowledge none of the evidence that’s being presented to him. He doesn’t care about the best interest of the child. He also will talk to the other side without you. HORRIBLE JUDGE!

Litigant

Comment #: IL3778
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Worst Judge Ever !!!!
I went before him on 3 occasions and he denied me the Right to Competent Legal Representation, when I asked for a continue date - because my lawyer was not able to appear. He said I "was doing a great job is speaking" - but I'm Not a Attorney.
He also did not allow an accounting of the judgement amount submitted by the opposing attorney.
Throw him off the bench

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: IL3470
Rating:1.5

Comments:
Terrible decision maker. Completely unfair and illogical in his rulings. Makes one wonder if he isn't on the take, as his rulings are completely contrary to establish law and common sense.

Other

Comment #: IL2387
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I gave him1 star because there is no lower Mark Lopez is the biggest pile of manure and the poorest excuse to represent the law in any form.He hands out judgements at will and illogically,which makes it look as if he is being paid off. Nothing bad I could say (and I am trying very hard not to use expletives here)can describe how low narrow minded and incompetent he is.DO NOT vote to keep this poor excuse of a human being on a bench. I hope he rots in hell where he belongs

Other

Comment #: IL2312
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I have been before Judge Lopez twice, once with a lawyer, once pro se. He certainly does not like the pro se litigants. He actually said in open court "this is not going to go well for you", another time he said "you two are the most ignorant people that has ever come before me". He sure does like to drag things out and when dead beat parents don't pay, Judge Lopez enforcement of court orders are a joke. The only time I ever see Lopez show interest in anything is when million dollar litigants and the a slew of attorney's go before him. NO VOTE for SLOPEZ!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: IL2289
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He does not judge evenly to say the least. Simple cases are dragged on for years. I chuckled when a person wrote how fair J M Lopez was on his or her case for 7 years... SEVEN YEARS! That says it all to support the others’ complaints. He may want to ensure his job. I think election time is coming up. Western suburbs pay attention and vote for those who protect children - all children!

Litigant

Comment #: IL2285
Rating:1.0

Comments:
After 5 years of divorce litigation I have observed Judge Lopez's bias, prejudice, and incompetence first hand. I have come to the realization that our system is tragically flawed. It is designed to foster and perpetuate a lengthy series of status', hearings, and continuances that only yield enormous legal fees paid to lawyers who in turn advocate for the election of Judges that perpetuate the predatory cycle profitability on the backs of people's relationship problems. Inevitably, one spouse is bitter or has access to more dollars to fight and the other spouse, usually more reasonable, has no way to back away or truncate the process for the benefit of the children, or to simply not waste money dragging out a ridiculous argument. The spouse with the best access to $$$ wins 100% of the time. In Judge Lopez's case, he makes up his mind early in the process with regard to who he believes will be the victor and allows the systematic draining, much like a vampire, of ALL of the assets of the litigants. The Attorneys continue to suck all of the financial resources like a tick on a dog until every drop of blood is consumed. Only after they are finished feasting on the dead, completely drained corpse, when one or both litigants are forced into bankruptcy, is there any sense of resolution. Judge Lopez is a disaster. He arbitrarily deviates from guidelines based on his own prejudice and even when the evidence glaringly exposes his prejudice, his ego is too large to admit his mistake and is much more willing to dig in and BURY his mistakes. You will not find justice in Lopez's court room. As a parent of special needs children, it is morally reprehensible how he has completely ignored the well being of defenseless children who do not have the ability to advocate for themselves. I can't blame Judge Lopez for every shortcoming of the system, But I can tell you that he represents and perpetuates the worst of the system and is much more driven by his own ego, prejudice, and self preservation of his position, than the justice that he is sworn to uphold. Vote him out if you can, he is arbitrary, incompetent, and devoid of common sense. Anyone who is willing to perpetuate the systematic bankrupting of special needs children is a detriment to justice and is morally unfit to serve our legal system.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: IL2120
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Horrible, inconsiderate, deleterious. He has placed my children's welfare & life in danger!

Litigant

Comment #: IL2119
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He cut me off during my testimony (I am woman) & let my ex husband ramble off lies. I am an RN, & my ex is a lying, alcoholic salesman & he knew this. He didn't decide what was my best for my children. He decided what was best for my-ex husband. I will tell everyone I know what an unfair, incompetent judge he is. He should be thrown off the bench!

Other

Comment #: IL1974
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I have had Judge Lopez handle my case for the past three years and it has been a total nightmare. His conservative views are a big flaw as he's not impartial to both parties, unless of course you are a dead beat, in which case he will pardon everything. I'm at the point of filling for bankruptcy, because I have endless attorney fees and everything my ex asks for he grants. Private school, tutoring, etc. Not that I'm against the best interests of my children, but Judge Lopez believes the cost of parenting is bankruptcy. Parents will do everything they can for their children, not what they cannot provide. He also changes his views. If you are a custodial parent and do not get what you wanted, as long as you continually file motions he will eventually grant it. It's a nightmare and he is ruining my life. I can't be a father to my children, because I can't afford to see them and I live out of state. I pray that no one has to encounter this scum ever.

Other

Comment #: IL1866
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Lopez is judged harshly by those who don't get their way in court. He is always fair, listens to both sides, and makes a sound judgement based on the law and facts presented. He is the epitome of professional and I will even dare to say considerate. It's sad the most vocal are the ones who don't get to skirt what is right when it comes to doing the correct thing by their children. I speak for those of us who have fought uphill battles with regards to child support and custody hearings. In the 7 years that the HONORABLE Judge Mark J Lopez has handled my case, he has NEVER made a bad call when it comes to my children. And when I observe him his stance on what is right hasn't changed in any case because he stands on the side of the law not personal opinion or bias. For that I appreciate him and wish there were a million more judges just like him! -Davis

Other

Comment #: IL1841
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Lopez does not seem to care about justice when it comes to child support cases when you are not represented by an attorney. He ignores the facts when presented to him plainly. Gets bored, tunes out, and begins to look onto the next case while your case is being presented. Cases drag for years. He often tells you to bring additional documents for the next hearing and when you do bring them he tells you “I’m working on it. Don’t interrupt me.” WHY IS HE STILL A JUDGE IF HE CANNOT SERVE JUSTICE? Taxpayers should not have to deal with such a rude, inconsiderate judge. In addition, it is often clear when a deadbeat parent is lying and claiming to not have any money but Judge Lopez could care less. He will often ask the noncustodial parent if they have money, but never bothers to ask the custodial parent. He lacks knowledge about college expenses and how those costs should be split between parents. He fails to understand the true costs the custodial parent faces, to him there is virtually no cost.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: IL1681
Rating:3.3

Comments:
Judge Lopez sadly will have to have this legacy follow him for the remainder of his professional career. A legacy of failure, failing children, failing the pro see defendant, failing humanity.

I will personally follow judge lopez through out the remainder of has career and make sure his legacy; one of dispicable decision making, one of basic disregard for judicial expediency, one of preferential treatment for those defended by the big firm attorneys, will follow him where ever he goes.

Good luck running for office or practicing in the private sector. The wonderful effiency of this supply and demand economy is built to eliminate less than adequate providers of service. No one can hide behind the judicial vail forever.

Other

Comment #: IL1417
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Not at all interested in collecting on court ordered child support. Child does not matter.

Litigant

Comment #: IL1416
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Same as others experienced here. Total disregard for pro se litigants and welfare of the child. Never asks why deadbeat parents have thousands of dollars for an attorney but does not have the cash to pay child support. Endless status and continuance calls, never reads documents presented. There is never any punishment for contempt of court orders. Cases go on for years.

Litigant

Comment #: IL1413
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I was not surprised to see the previous reviews. I many similar experiences with this Judge. I appeared as a pro se litigant. If your opponent has an attorney, Judge Lopez won't even listen to what you have to say. Judge Lopez was extremely rude and insensitive. He cut me off constantly, never letting me make a point. He made many condescending remarks. He was impatient. He made rulings that had no basis in law. He didn't bother to read our motions. He ordered the non-custodial parent to pay almost half of his 28% obligation after repeatedly refusing to allow me to present evidence that a downward deviation was not applicable. All of this was only after he repeatedly refused to hear our case sending it to different judges until the Presiding Judge ordered him to hear it. We spent an absurd amount of time being bounced from court room to court room trying to get this straightened out. This is completely contrary to his behavior when I was represented by an attorney.

Litigant

Comment #: IL883
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He despises pro se litigants. He refuses to punish non-custodial deadbeat parents, saying that as long as they pay something, it is better than nothing. He tries to make pro se litigants think that they don't know the law, and makes rulings that are adverse. He has no concern for the welfare of children, and speeds through hearings, and will cut you off, and never looks at documents presented to him. He does not abide by health care and family support regulations and documents.

Litigant

Comment #: IL850
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Lopez seemed to be more involved in playing out the process of the law than in making an expedient decision. It was his job to make sure that the best interests of the children were being served. This was not observed on many fronts. He did not seem interested in hearing sufficient amounts of testimony to make adequate determinations. He denied services that would have helped him to make more precise decisions. His determinations were confusing and without foreknowledge. He did not enforce statutes for child support.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: IL839
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Lopez has no understanding of enforcing child support orders. While waiting in his courtroom, he managed to side with every non-custodial parent without that parent showing cause for reduction of child support. In every case he had one magic number: $75.00. I felt that he just didn't care, and could not get out of the courtroom fast enough. As Illinois is a state with one of the worst records for child support enforcement, Judge Lopez reinforces this fact, along with displaying a near-total disregard for the custodial parent.

Litigant

Comment #: IL735
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Lopez seems less concerned with the facts of the family issues and trying to make judgments to benefit the child. He seems more interested in the process. This process forces families to incur significant expense in evaluations and allows attorneys to file ridiculous motions that drag out the process and cause more financial damage than necessary. During trial he will get bored with testimony and cut short the case without giving both sides an equal amount of time to present their case. After putting all sides into a financial penalty box and a judicial version of a time-out for the parents; he then will make a decision irrespective of the professional opinion of any of the experts he appoints, and concoct a wacky solution of his own making that resembles none of the professional evaluators' recommendations.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: IL210
Rating:9.1

Comments:
Judge Lopez is an excellent judge.