A Cook County judge who was accused in court filings of making racist comments during a conference in his chambers in January has been reassigned until further notice, according to Cook County’s chief judge.

       In a motion for substitution of judge filed earlier this month, attorney Matthew Fakhoury accused Judge William Hooks of making racist remarks about Middle Eastern men, along with other derogatory comments, during a conference for a defendant charged with aggravated domestic battery.

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       Fakhoury also filed an affidavit that accused Hooks of improperly communicating with the prosecutors on the case in an attempted cover-up. Judges are not allowed to speak to parties on one side of a case while those on the other side are unaware.