Illinois Supreme Court Names Leadership for Statewide Pretrial Services

The Illinois Supreme Court has named Judge Cara LeFevour Smith as the Director and Wendy Venvertloh as Deputy Director to lead the new operational structure for statewide pretrial services in adult criminal proceedings. The Court announced the new operational structure under the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) in a press release on Aug. 20.  

“We are thrilled to have Judge LeFevour Smith and Wendy in place to lead this exciting new endeavor,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “They have the complementary skills and experience needed to make pretrial a statewide success.”

Judge LeFevour Smith has served as a Cook County Circuit Judge since 2019, starting in the First Municipal District and now in the Juvenile Justice Division. She served as chief policy advisor to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart before joining the bench.  

“Throughout my career in public service, I have been blessed to have been in positions that presented me with opportunities to effect change, to help people in need and to change the course of lives,” Judge LeFevour Smith said. “I am looking very forward to continuing that work for the AOIC.”

Venvertloh is currently the AOIC’s Pretrial Services Administrator. She started her career in 1999 with Adams County Probation with her most recent position there as the Director of Probation and Court Services. As a part of her time in Adams County, she oversaw the establishment and then continued operations of their Pretrial Department.  

“I look forward to working with Judge LeFevour Smith and other stakeholders to build out the new operational structure,” Venvertloh said. “This new system will help achieve comprehensive pretrial reform in Illinois.”