Before requests for comments went out, those who knew, worked with and held Justice R. Eugene Pincham in high esteem were phoning and emailing their rememberances.
Justice Pincham shown during his tenure on the Illinois Appeallate Court
Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans:
He was magnificent in the way he pursued justice. I think that one of the things that was always in the back of his mind was that he had grown up in Alabama. He wanted to go to law school in Alabama, but at the time he became eligible to go to law school, they refused to permit African Americans to go to law school in that region. He had to go to Northwestern Law School in order to get a legal degree. He never forgot how he was treated and he didn’t want anyone else to be treated that way. He pursued justice all his legal career.
I have known Judge Pincham for over 40 years. I started following his success back when I was in law school and was serving as a law clerk. When I finished my work, I would go listen to Judge Pincham, who was at that time a practicing attorney. I would go listen to him as he defended his clients, who were accused of crimes. The thing that was most impressive about the way he did it, he signaled the humanity of the clients he defended.
It wasn’t just a name, these were human beings who were charged with crimes. He emphasized that justice was the key, and there was a presumption of innocence. He insisted that his clients be treated as if they were innocent until otherwise found guilty of committing the crime they were accused of. That was an unusual and dynamic way of doing it. He would capture the attention of the judge and the jury with his approach. He had a kind of southern drawl, which was unusual for a Chicago audience to hear.
Mayor Richard M. Daley offered :
On behalf of all Chicagoans, I want to offer my sympathy and condolences to the friends and family of R. Eugene Pincham.
In a distinguished career as both lawyer and judge, he was an eloquent representative of the underdog and a man who fought to improve our criminal justice system.
He was deservedly a hero in his community. But every resident of our city loses something important when a passionate and committed citizen such as Gene Pincham leaves us.
Cliff Kelley, former City of Chicago alderman and current afternoon talk show host on WVON Radio described Justice Pincham as "a wonderful man.
A gentleman who understood that the law, unlike many in his profession, that it’s more than just a business. It’s an instrument of social change. Unfortunately there are many who don’t believe that. This man epitomized what a real people’s lawyer is about. He believed in justice. He never backed off of what he believed in. he was someone we all should try to emulate. He was a fantastic man. Brilliant, articulate, loving man. He had a great family. He loved his wife. I’ve been with him when he’s said that she was his co-counsel. He used to run cases and arguments by her. People would come to the courtroom, other lawyers, if they knew that Pincham was going to have a closing argument that day. Everybody wanted to hear it. It was just fantastic.
When he went to the bench, many of us weren’t too happy about that. We were fearful that this great voice who represented so many people, would no longer be able to do that, as a judge. But then, he didn’t let us down. He created Probation Challenge when he was in the criminal courts. He knew that all these young men had something in common. About 99 percent of them were high school dropouts. So he would change his courtroom at night into a classroom. One of the conditions of probation was to get a G.E.D. He was just a fantastic man. He was elevated to the appellate court. He did a great job there. After that, he started practicing law again. To show you his integrity, he ran for Cook County Board President. Normally, when you run for that, you also run for county commissioner as well, so you could have a vote. Pincham ran for both positions. He lost to [Richard] Phelan for president, but won the commissioner’s seat. But he refused to take it. He said the reason he ran for both so he could change things. Without the presidency, that wouldn’t happen. He felt he could do more on the outside, so he refused to run in the General Election. His integrity was unquestioned.
Cook County Clerk David Orr said “Mr. Pincham should be remembered as a trailblazer. I admired him û an extraordinarily bright and tactically-shrewd man û for regularly taking on corruption and racism, even when it landed him in hot water. His death is a great loss to Chicago and Cook County.”
Cook County Board of Commissioner President Todd Stroger
“The Stroger family is saddened by the passing of Judge Eugene Pincham, a man who was a giant in the community and who our family was personally honored to call a friend. For decades, Judge Pincham served as the voice of the voiceless in our courthouses and communities, challenging the criminal justice system. He brought his spirit of activism and his keen sense of commitment to social and economic justice to all of his endeavors, and served as a shining example of civic engagement for both young and old. He never forgot his roots, even as his reputation and public recognition grew, and that abiding spirit of commitment to the greater good is part of what made him one of our community’s most respected and beloved elders. He will be missed by many.”
On how he met Pincham: “I started practicing law ten years ago. The first major case that I was on, Judge Pincham was an attorney on that case as well. It was four of us that defended a little boy who was charged with murder, and the charges were dropped. It was an opportunity to watchà ”
On Pincham’s relationship with the Black community: “Judge Pincham was really the leader in the Black legal community. Multiple attorneys would seek his assistance on cases that might have been too large for them to manage by themselves.”
“He was so personable to people who did not know him personally, but knew who he was. I never once saw him say something harsh or coarse or inconsiderate to someone who would just walk up to him and say “Judge Pincham, we love you.””
“Had his home number listed in the phone book, and people could call him up and they’d have a conversation. He was not the type to separate himself from the average citizen, but made himself available to anybody who had an issue. He always kept that common touch.”
“He spent his remaining years as a litigator fighting on behalf of the Black community.”
On Pincham’s courtroom demeanor: “Judge Pincham commanded the respect of the courtroom, sometimes more than the judge who was presiding over the caseà . Even the judges would refer to him as Judge Pincham, and he had long since retired.”
On Pincham’s politics: “Anybody who knew of PIncham had a favorable and positive perception of him because he wasn’t a politician, and he wasn’t a religious leader. He was just an individual who fought on behalf of those who ordinarily would not have quality representation.”
“Judge Pincham did not mind taking on causes that sometimes ruffled people’s feathers. You know you’re going to ruffle some feathers when you sue the Chicago Police Department saying they killed someone. You know you’re going to ruffle some features when you take on city, state and county officials regarding cronyism and nepotism.”
“I don’t know that he was disappointed [about his failed bid for State’s Attorney.] We knew that he wasn’t doing it just to increase his stature. Part of it was to make a point, which was that there was grave injustices going on in the State’s Attorney’s office, and by running for that office, it gave him a formal platform to voice many of the injustices that were taking place.”
On his personal ethics: “Judge Pincham didn’t care who the offending party was, but that they were the offending party.”
“There were many cases he did that he didn’t get paid on, and others where he could have gotten paid, but turned down because they didn’t comply with his ethics.”
“He was always appreciative of the reputation he acquired over the years.”
Gov. Rod Blagovejich issued the following statement:
“The Honorable Judge Pincham was a gifted lawyer, a respected member of the court, and a powerful advocate for the poor and forgotten. In everything he did, Judge Pincham sought to right the wrongs he saw in our society. Chicago is a better place because of his many contributions. He will be greatly missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”
Considered Judge R. Eugene Pincham a mentor and friend.
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