Judge Maritza Martinez presides over cases in our Domestic Relations Division. She also previously presided over cases brought in the First Municipal District, in the Traffic Section, Felony Preliminary Hearings Section, Misdemeanor Section, Non-Jury Civil Section, and Forcible Entry and Detainer Section.
For 25 years prior to becoming a judge, Judge Martinez tried both criminal and civil matters, in federal and state court. She managed complex and heavy caseloads, oftentimes alleging catastrophic losses of paralysis or death, in both private practice and during her 13 years of public service. Her defense of City of Chicago employees and officials included litigation alleging civil rights and constitutional violations, discrimination, wrongful death, and intentional torts. She also prosecuted municipal ordinance violations for Chicago’s departments of police, revenue, health, consumer services, environment, streets and sanitation, and animal care and control. During her last 7 years of private practice, Judge Martinez also served as a Commissioner at the Illinois Court of Claims where she presided over claims brought against the State of Illinois.
Judge Martinez has always volunteered her time to public service, both personally and professionally. She served, by appointment of the Illinois Supreme Court, as an Inquiry Board Panel Chair and as an Oversight Committee Member of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, determining, for over 10 years, whether sufficient evidence existed in investigations alleging misconduct against Illinois attorneys. Judge Martinez has been an active volunteer within her community, regularly volunteers and speaks at public and parochial schools, volunteers as a judge at annual law school trial advocacy competitions, and serves as a mentor to minority students attending and interested in attending neighboring Chicago law schools.
Judge Martinez earned her Bachelor of Arts, English, from Loyola University Chicago, in 1988, and was admitted under the Third Year Admission Program to Loyola’s Law School, from where she earned her Juris Doctorate in 1989.