Juan Ponce de Leon
Democratic
Circuit Court Judge, 18th Subcircuit (Converted from Associate Judgeship of Chrones)
AI wrote this from the sources listed below. A second AI checked each sentence against its source, and software checked the links and dates. A person didn’t review it, so every sentence links to its source for you to check. Updated Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Overview
Juan Ponce de Leon was appointed to the Circuit Court of Cook County in August 2026.1 He is assigned to the First Municipal District.1 Before joining the bench, he spent ten years as a criminal defense attorney with the Cook County Public Defender's office in Rolling Meadows.1 He previously worked in the office's juvenile justice and child protection divisions.1
Campaign money
- Reporting period
- April 1 to June 30, 2026
- Raised
- $1,000
- Cash on hand
- $32,361
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Larger gifts | $1,000 |
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections filings for Juan Ponce De Leon For Judge
Endorsements and bar evaluations
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 1506Union
- U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi2Democratic elected official
- Illinois State Sen. Laura Murphy2Democratic elected official
- Illinois State Rep. Nicolle Grasse2Democratic elected official
- Illinois State Rep. Marty Moylan2Democratic elected official
- Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison2Democratic elected official
- Chicago Bar Association: “Qualified”3
- Chicago Council of Lawyers: “Qualified”4
- Illinois State Bar Association: “Qualified”1
- Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening: 9 of 11 other member groups rated this judge “Recommended”, 2 “Qualified”.5 Each group’s rating (PDF)
Sources
- Cook County Judicial Evaluations - Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Endorsements — Juan Ponce de Leon for Judge, Juan Ponce de Leon for Judge. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- Vote Smart: CBA Judicial Voter's Guide, General Election, November 3, 2026, Chicago Bar Association. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
- Evaluation Report: Judges on the Ballot in the November 3, 2026 General Election, Chicago Council of Lawyers. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
- Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, 2026 General Election ratings, Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
- IUOE Local 150 Illinois Endorsements, General Election, November 3, 2026 (Cook County), IUOE Local 150. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.