Does a traffic court judge have the power to remove a presidential candidate from a primary ballot?
On Feb. 28, Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie R. Porter issued a ruling to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot for Illinois’ March 19 primary. The ruling was put on hold to give Trump’s team time to appeal — and the case will not proceed after the Supreme Court halted a similar effort in Colorado.
Some social media users are questioning her ability to make such a decision.
“The ‘Judge’ who took Trump off the ballot in Illinois is a traffic court judge who presides over ‘minor traffic violations and Class A Misdemeanors,’” read a Feb. 29 Instagram post by Ryan Fournier, a conservative commentator. “A traffic court judge … You can’t make this up.”
(Screenshot from Instagram)
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Although Porter previously served in the traffic division, her current role in the county division encompasses a broader scope of cases.
Porter won a 2022 election to become a Cook County Circuit judge. According to the Illinois State Constitution, circuit courts have jurisdiction on all matters except those with jurisdiction reserved for the state Supreme Court, namely, General Assembly redistricting and ruling on the governor’s ability to serve or resume office.
Cook County’s Circuit Court has three departments: county, municipal, and juvenile justice and child protection.
Porter is a circuit judge in the court’s county division under the county department. The county division handles the following:
Porter was previously in the traffic division, according to an archived copy of her page captured Dec. 20, 2022.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that disqualified Trump, effectively halting all efforts, including that of Illinois, to remove him from the ballot.
We rate the claim that an Illinois judge ordered Trump’s removal from the state’s primary ballot while serving as a “traffic court judge” False.