What continues to amaze this writer is the lack of legal knowledge of many of our judges.

For an example, Judge Edmund Ponce de Leon, a judge in the domestic relations division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, issued an order of visitation under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act between an adult and his father.

Judge Ponce de Leon should know that a divorce court has no subject-matter jurisdiction upon adult children. The Act specifically includes only minor children, and their ages and their addresses, must be included in a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (how else will the judge know the children are minors and within the jurisdiction of the court?). In the case at bar, Judge Ponce de Leon knew the age of the adult child.

But Judge Ponce de Leon, in his infinite wisdom and in his lack of knowledge of the law, usurped subject-matter jurisdiction and issued a void order. If Judge Ponce de Leon does not know what constitutes a void order, how will he know what constitutes a valid order? It makes no difference to him, he just issues orders. Remember, some judges think they are God.

The Appellate Court vacated Judge Ponce de Leon's order, as he lacked jurisdiction and therefore the order was void ab initio.

This is not the first time that Judge Edmund Ponce de Leon issued a void order. Some judges never learn.

CLR has frequently suggested that many orders issued in the courts are not valid orders, as they were issued without subject-matter jurisdiction.

Now, several years later, judge Edmund Ponce de Leon has been promoted to be the Presiding Judge of the Fourth Municipal District. As a void order is an order issued by a judge without subject-matter jurisdiction, and as a judge who acts without subject-matter jurisdiction is engaged in treason, is it not normal practice in Crook County to promote incompetent judges?

What can we expect next?

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