Cook County Clerk resigns after being accused of sexual misconduct

A Cook County Circuit Court judge resigned Monday, less than a month after she was charged with sexual misconduct and misconduct with a minor.

Cindy Bunch was charged Monday in Cook County District Court with misdemeanor third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

She resigned as Cook County’s chief court-certified criminal defense attorney on March 10.

Bunch’s attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

A federal grand jury indicted Bunch on Friday after a complaint was made to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel, which investigates federal complaints of sexual assault and other crimes.

The DOJ has launched a criminal investigation of the allegations, which are not being publicly reported.

Boutson and Bunch were appointed Cook County judges in December 2014.

Boutson served as a judge in Cook, a predominantly black county with a population of more than 400,000, since 2010.

She was elected in 2016 and previously served as an attorney and clerk for Cook County Commissioner Rebecca Viagran, who is African American.

Bouton also served as Cook’s city clerk for nearly two decades.