How often do judges get voted out of office?

Curious City

Editor's note: This episode has been updated with new statements from Judge Matthew Coghlan. Every election, after breezing through their choices for governor, president, senators, and state reps, Cook County voters face the longest part of the ballot: Circuit Court judges. Though the candidates running for judge may be the most obscure, judges are the elected officials any voter is most likely to encounter and the ones whose decisions can have the most direct impact on their life. Anytime you get divorced, sue for damages after a car accident, or face accusations of committing a crime — a judge is involved. And once a judge is elected, it’s rare they’ll ever be removed from office. This week, reporter Maya Dukmasova from Injustice Watch answers a question about why that’s the case.