Housing court cases is when the City of Chicago Department of Buildings sues a landowner because the property does not comply with the City of Chicago Building Code. Currently the Department of Buildings sends these code compliance matters to either to an Administrative Hearings or to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Administrative Hearings are conducted with an administrative law judge—normally a private attorney—and the City’s photographs and written evidence are admitted into evidence. So at the Hearing it will be the Administrative Law Judge and the owner discussing the condition of the building. The Administrative Law judge can enter judgments against the building owner for the fine amount in the Building Code. More serious matters are referred to Housing Court such as demolition cases, multiple violations that endanger public health, zoning violations. There the decider is a Circuit Court Judge. The City has a lawyer in the room and the building inspector also present. The rules of evidence apply to these proceedings.