Charles Beach sworn in as new Cook County chief judge: 'The work begins now'

For the first time in more than two decades, Cook County has sworn in a new chief judge.

Charles Beach took the oath of office Monday morning, just months after defeating eight-time incumbent Judge Timothy Evans to assume control of one of the nation’s largest unified court systems.

“Our court is not merely a collection of buildings and procedure; it is the vital mechanism through which our community resolves its deepest conflicts and upholds its most cherished ideals,” Beach said Monday during his investiture ceremony.

“Our challenge is to ensure that this mechanism operates with principle and true humanity.”

Beach takes over an office currently under fire for its management of the county’s electronic monitoring system. Beach did not directly address ongoing policy issues in his speec