Born to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, Elrod received his bachelor's and law degrees from Northwestern University.

While serving in the Illinois General Assembly, Elrod was seriously injured and left paralyzed while helping a Chicago police officer capture Brian Flanagan during the Days of Rage conflict in 1969.

Flanagan would go to trial for several charges related to the incident, including attempted murder, but was acquitted of all of them.

[4] Elrod was elected Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois in 1970, defeating Republican nominee Bernard Carey.

Elrod was then appointed as a judge on the Circuit Court of Cook County in August 1988, where he continued to serve until his death in 2014.