Cheryl Bormann is an attorney from Chicago best known for defending Waleed bin Attash during his trial before the Guantanamo military commission in 2012. Bormann studied law at Loyola University Chicago. From 2008 through 2011 she headed the Capital Trial Assistant Unit at the Illinois State Appellate Defender, the state agency responsible for providing legal assistance to defendants in death penalty cases in Illinois. The abolition of the death penalty in Illinois in 2011 rendered Bormann's position redundant.

Adjunct Faculty Biographies
Cheryl T. Bormann
Joined the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender: 1989 Joined its leadership: 2003

Cheryl Bormann is an Attorney Supervisor at the Third Municipal District, Rolling Meadows Criminal Courthouse. As the only representative of Office leadership at Rolling Meadows, Cheryl supervises the work of 18 Assistant Public Defenders, who staff both felony and misdemeanor courtrooms. Cheryl’s duties include, in addition to administering day-to-day supervision, all the responsibilities that would normally adhere to being a work site Chief – ensuring the proper staffing and handling of all courtrooms and cases, acting as a liaison between the Office and other agencies, and attending regular meetings with judges and other court personnel. Cheryl also maintains her own active caseload which primarily consists of capital and noncapital homicide cases.

Cheryl is certified by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as lead counsel in death penalty trials as a member of the Capital Litigation Trial Bar. She is also an active speaker and teacher. At Loyola University School of Law, she was an adjunct professor where she has served as head coach of the Philip Corboy trial team. Cheryl teaches trial advocacy for the annual program sponsored by the Office of the State Appellate Defender. She is a frequent lecturer for many local bar associations on the subject of criminal law. Cheryl is actively involved with the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago, where she volunteers her time teaching public school students.

Cheryl became an Attorney Supervisor in 2003. Before serving in her current position, Cheryl was an Attorney Supervisor at the Sixth Municipal District, Markham Criminal Courthouse. This is Cheryl’s second time working for the Public Defender. When Cheryl first joined in the Office in 1989, she worked as an Assistant Public Defender at the Juvenile Justice Division. After four years, she transferred to the Felony Trial Division at 26th Street. She briefly left the Office in 1999, and maintained a private practice specializing in serious criminal defense litigation, but then returned to the Office in 2003. Cheryl has defended clients in excess of 50 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials, many of those facing murder and capital murder charges.

Cheryl received both her Bachelor’s degree and law degree from Loyola University.