Sharon Coleman

Sharon Coleman

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Tenure

2010 - Present

Years in position

14

Education

Personal

Contact

Allowing same-sex marriages early in Cook County (2014)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Lee v. Orr, 13-cv-8719)

Judge Sharon Coleman was the presiding judge in case where a Cook County couple sued to be married before the law allowing gay marriage, in Illinois took effect on June 1, 2014. In November of 2013 the Illinois General Assembly passed a law that allowed same sex couples to marry in the State of Illinois. Illinois law states any law passed after May 31st does not go into effect until June 1st the following year. The plaintiffs in the case, Brenda Lee and Lee Edwards, initially sued the Cook County clerk's office to be able to marry in cases where one or both partners were terminally ill prior to the June 1, 2014 date. After being granted the right to married if terminally ill, the plaintiffs brought another case before the court asking that all gay and lesbian couples be afforded the right to marry before the June 1st enactment date. Their case focused on the unconstitutionality of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, if terminally ill couples marriage could be recognized then all should be recognized.^[7] On February 21, 2014, Judge Coleman ruled in favor of the couple allowing same sex marriages to proceed immediately in Cook County, Illinois. Since it was not covered in the ruling, couples wishing to covert their civil union into a marriage had to wait until the June 1st enactment date.^[8]

Judge vacates ruling on NSA surveillance evidence (2013)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (U.S. v. Daoud, 1:12-cr-00723)

On September 1, 2013, Judge Coleman vacated her own ruling in a case involving constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. In the underlying case, Adel Daoud, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen, was charged in a terrorism case after being accused of trying to detonate what he believed to be a bomb in downtown Chicago. Daoud was allegedly identified as a potential terrorist through an examination of his online footprint. Judge Coleman initially found on August 28, 2013, that because the government did not intend to use it at trial, federal prosecutors did not need to provide information as to whether its evidence against Daoud was based on data gleaned from the National Security Agency’s enhanced surveillance techniques. Days later, Judge Coleman changed course, reopening debate to “allow further examination” as to the nature of the government’s classified evidence against Daoud.^[9][10][11]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Illinois Courts, "Judge Coleman Biography," accessed October 6, 2009
2. ↑ Sharon Johnson Coleman Biography from the Federal Judicial Center, accessed December 18, 2013
3. ↑ White House Press Release, "President Obama Nominates Three for District Court Bench," February 24, 2010
4. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Judicial Nomination Materials," accessed May 13, 2014
5. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting Notice," March 3, 2010
6. ↑ Chicago Breaking News, "Senate endorses Illinois appellate judge to federal district court," July 12, 2010
7. ↑ Lambdal Legal, "Lee v. Orr," accessed April 1, 2014
8. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Wedding bells in clerk's office after ruling on same sex marriage," February 21, 2014
9. ↑ ABC 7 News, "Government wins major spy ruling in Chicago terror case," August 28, 2013
10. ↑ Slate, "Government Internet Surveillance in Chicago Bomb-Plot Case Can Remain Secret, Judge Rules," August 29, 2013
11. ↑ Associated Press, "Federal Judge Undoes Key Ruling on Surveillance Evidence," September 4, 2013