Cook County Judge Cynthia Brim May Mount Insanity Defense At Trial [UPDATE]

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 4, 2013 6:45PM

Suspended Cook County Court Judge Cynthia Brim in 2010. (Image via Fox News Chicago screen grab.)

The Sun-Times reports that Cook County Judge Cynthia Brim may argue she’s not guilty by reason of insanity when her trial on a misdemeanor battery charge begins Monday. Brim was charged with assaulting a Cook County Sheriff’s deputy and tossing a set of keys at him at the Daley Center courthouse last March. Prior to that incident, Brim was reported to have acted erratically at the Markham courthouse where she was assigned and made comments that about south suburban towns only targeting black and Hispanic drivers for traffic infractions.

Brim underwent a psychiatric evaluation last March and was declared “legally insane” by a doctor, which may help her defense. Brim is suspended indefinitely but still collecting her $182,000 annual salary. She won re-election to her bench in November despite recommendations by voting groups to not retain her. A DuPage County judge will preside over her trial.

Update: Brim was found not guilty by reason of insanity this afternoon and will have to undergo another psychiatric evaluation to determine her next phase of treatment.