Meet Matt
Matt Taylor
for Judge
Cook County 12th Subcircuit
Matt Taylor is running for Cook County Circuit Court Judge in the 12th Subcircuit due to his deep passion, dedication, and respect for upholding the law. For more than three decades working as a public servant, Matt has amassed a unique range of professional experiences that will ensure he effectively and fairly judges any case he hears on its merits and will always rule in favor of Illinois law.
As the son of a police chief, it was ingrained in Matt early on to understand the significance and value of public service through the enforcement of the law. This family legacy and foundation inspired Matt to become a sworn police officer, a role he dutifully and honorably served in for more than 23 years. Through his experiences as a law enforcement officer, Matt began to realize his passion for law was evolving, and he began the work to become a practicing attorney – by taking night classes while still a police officer. After graduating from law school, he balanced these two professional roles until retiring from law enforcement in 2017. Now, and for more than 20 years – Matt has represented clients in transactional, civil, and criminal law cases in the Cook County courts. He also serves as a constitutional and criminal law professor at the college level, as well as an instructor at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy to ensure police officers at the start of their careers gain the most comprehensive understanding of the law. Matt’s goal is to ensure these new officers enforce the law skillfully and thoughtfully, while serving the public good.
As a Cook County Judge in the 12th Subcircuit, Matt will leverage his depth and breadth of experiences in enforcing, practicing, and teaching the law, and vows to take on this new role without bias or prejudice. His extensive background serving Illinois law will ensure he rules on each case he hears evenly and fairly – by asking the right and important questions to understand every case clearly and comprehensively. Matt promises to apply his varied and versatile knowledge of the law to all who appear before him – and he will always rule on the side of the law.
Matt is a devoted husband to Bobbi and father to their two adult children, Matt Jr. and Skye and has lived in the northwest suburbs for the last 40 years in Hoffman Estates and Palatine.
Vote for Matt Taylor on November 5th and enable him to serve the public in this new role as a Cook County Judge – something he has spent three decades preparing for through his vast range of professional experiences upholding the law!
Watch Matt's Videos
Matt Taylor For Judge
Endorsed by
- Judge Sam Amirante (Ret)
- Judge James Etchingham (Ret)
- Judge Michael Gerber (Ret)
- Judge Pamela Karahalios (Ret)
- Judge Richard Kavitt (Ret)
- Judge Randye Kogan (Ret)
- Judge James McGing (Ret)
- Judge Clare McWilliams (Ret)
- Judge John Tourtelot (Ret)
- Palatine Village Trustee – Jack Wagner (Ret)
- Mt. Prospect Police Chief John Koziol (Ret)
- Inverness Police Chief Bob Haas (Ret)
- Palatine Police Chief David Daigle (Ret)
- Palatine Police Chief Alan Stoeckel (Ret)
- The Italian American Police Association
A Local Person With Real Experience
Why Choose Matt?
Matt’s Service as a Palatine Police Officer:
- FBI Crisis/hostage negotiator training.
- School resource officer at Walter Sundling Junior High School.
- Established Palatine Peer Jury, a diversion program for juvenile offenders.
- Public school threat assessment advisor/instructor.
- Consistently participated in the summer camp for underserved Palatine youth.
- Trained rookie police officers constitutional law considerations and case law.
- Drafted legal updates and case law summaries for all members of the department.
- Developed/lead practical training drills on active shooter scenarios.
- Among founding members of the Palatine Police & Fire Benevolent Association.
Matt’s Teaching Experience:
University of Phoenix, professor from 2006 to 2021: Taught Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure to more than 1,500 students.
College of DuPage, Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, adjunct faculty since 2019, and has trained more than 1,000 future law enforcement officers in:
- Constitutional Authority
- Rights of the Accused
- Rules of Evidence
- Laws of Admission
- Civil Rights and Civil Liability
- Facilitate/evaluate recruits in practical scenarios.
Matt’s Achievements in the Study and Practice of Law:
- Dean’s list at the John Marshall Law School.
- Quarterfinalist in the Herzog Moot Court competition.
- Member of the John Marshall Law School/ABA Criminal Justice Competition team.
- Prosecuting for Cook County municipalities since 2005 (Villages of Arlington Heights, Barrington and Prospect Heights and City of Wheeling).
- Village prosecutor for Villages of Norridge, Palatine, and Schaumburg.
- Spanish proficiency to communicate with members of the Hispanic community who appear in court.
Guest lecture/speaker
- Law & Society at Palatine High School, William Fremd High School (Palatine)
- Constitutional Topics at York Community High School (Elmhurst)
- Bill of Rights discussion at Sundling Junior High School (Palatine)
Presentations for police departments and law enforcement groups
- Juvenile Law Update: Northwest Suburban Juvenile Officers
- Police K-9 Law Review: Northwest Suburban K-9 Handlers
- SAFE-T Act and 4th Amendment review: Darien (Illinois) Police Department
- Cannabis & the 4th Amendment in Illinois – Palatine (Illinois) Police Department
Community involvement:
Victories and awards won by the York High School Mock Trial team:
- 2018, 2nd place in the Illinois State Bar Association state mock trial competition.
- 2019, Illinois State Bar Association state mock trial competition champions.
- 2019, representing Illinois at the National High School Mock Trial Competition held at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia).
- Regional victories at mock trial events sponsored by various bar associations.
Sports Teams/Associations Leadership for Youth
- Palatine Youth Baseball & Softball, baseball & softball coach (2006 through 2014).*
- Palatine Youth Baseball & Softball, softball co-commissioner (2013-2014). *
- Palatine Baseball Association, softball coach (2015-2016). *
- Palatine Amateur Football Association (PAFA), coach (2010-2014).
- Palatine Police & Fire Benevolent Association, Board of Directors (2007-2009)
* Palatine Youth Baseball & Softball and Palatine Baseball Association merged in 2018 to form the Palatine Community Baseball and Softball association.