The ISBA finds Judge Thomas V. Lyons recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. A broken ankle. Matthew Link has been licensed since 2004. Hon. Why? Injustice Watch's nonpartisan guide to the November 2022 Cook County judicial elections. Injustice Watch answers your questions about the upcoming judicial retention races in Cook County. But Monkus said she thinks that robust, performance-based judicial evaluations aimed as much at continued training, education, and professional growth for judges as they are at voter education are critical for a better judiciary. 1821 Walden Office Square Suite 400, Schaumburg, IL 60173. The ISBA finds Judge James L. Allegretti recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. LeRoy K. Martin, Jr. has been licensed since 1984. The ISBA finds Judge Catherine Ann Schneider recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. He is considered to be a well-prepared litigator with good writing skills. Jerry Esrig was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1978. James J. Ryan has been licensed since 1992. The Committee finds Raymond W. Mitchell highly qualified for election to the Appellate Court. Since September 2014 he has been assigned to the Municipal District in the Fourth District (Maywood) where he presides in a felony call. He is a member of several bar associations, speaks at seminars, mentored new judges, and is the recipient of many awards. Eulalia De La Rosa has been admitted to the Illinois bar since 2004. She has substantial criminal jury and bench experience. Elaine S. Vorberg. Since 2022 she was appointed Deputy General Counsel for Chicago Public Schools, managing attorneys, and drafting CPS contracts. He has been assigned to Criminal Division since October 2017; since October 2021 he has presided over a felony call after previously serving in the Pre-Trial Division. In 2019 she was given the Distinguished Alumna Award by the University of Illinois College of Law. Rosanna Fernandez has been licensed since 1997. He has been assigned to the Municipal Department in the Fifth District (Bridgeview) where he presides over various criminal calls. Geary W. Kull has been licensed since 1974. Bonita Coleman has been licensed since 1992. The ISBA finds Judge Sandra G. Ramos recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. She has been assigned to Domestic Relations in the Third District (Rolling Meadows) since August 2018; her prior assignments include Domestic Violence and Traffic Court. They are: Margaret Ann Brennan, Patrick J. Sherlock, Kenneth J. Wadas and Anna Helen Demacopoulos. Hon. The ISBA finds Justice Mary Jane Theis recommended for retention to the Illinois Supreme Court First District. Roger Taney was the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1836 until 1864. . She is a career assistant states attorney currently assigned to the Felony Trial Division. Attorneys praised her knowledge of the law, high integrity, judicial temperament, and fairness. She is a member of various bar associations, has spoken on legal topics and is on the executive board of Casa Central. EXCLUSIVE: Pekau has already decided to move ahead and eliminate the Villag Why so much emphasis in Illinois on protecting criminals? After serving as an alderman in the Chicago City Council for the 4th Ward from 1973 until 1991, while maintaining a civil law practice, he was elected in 1992 to the Circuit Court, and has been retained four times since. Most people dont. He served as presiding judge of Domestic Relations and the Law Division before being elected Chief Judge in 2001, a position he has recently been elected to for an eighth term. Hon. In other words, it's been a long time. Unlike political candidates for public office who need to receive 50 percent plus 1 vote or more to win and election and take office, Judges who are elected to the Cook County Circuit Court must stand for retention every six years. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 1998 and retained in 2004, 2010 and 2016. Judge Candace J. Beason. She has been a speaker and written about legal issues and served on the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission and the Hillside Zoning Commission. 17. Prior to that, he was with two other firms handling corporate litigation, and also served for one year as a clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals. She prepared thoroughly for each case and is described as patient and kind to the many pro se litigants appearing before her. Retention means a judge must receive at least 60% of the votes cast in their race to stay on the bench. She received high praise for her integrity and her sensitivity towards the many diverse people that appear before her, include those appearing pro se. The best way to select judges is still hotly debated. The Committee finds Stephen Swedlow qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Patricia Susan Spratt was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1991. She has been a speaker on legal topics and active in the Illinois Judges Association. ADULT STAR USES FAN FOR $$$! The Worst Shameless Lawyers/Liars in Illinois. Attorneys praised her thoroughness, thoughtful opinions, fairness, high integrity, and temperament. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2010 and retained in 2016. He has been assigned to the Housing Section since 2016 after initially serving in various sections of First Municipal. The lawsuits have particularly surged in the wake of an Illinois Supreme Court ruling, which determined plaintiffs dont need to prove they suffered any real harm from such biometric scans before they can sue. Not necessarily just to get community outreach to say should this person be retained or not retained but seeking community input on what are the problems with a particular judge or a particular division of the circuit court, he said. She was named an associate judge in 2007, retained in 2011 and 2015. He was also praised for his temperament, sensitivity, diligence, and integrity. Theis is slated to be the next chief justice, a rotating position. THE JUDGES BELOW ARE KNOWN TO BE CORRUPT OR HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES AND ABUSED THEIR POWER FOR PROFIT. Terms of office for circuit judges were lengthened to six years, making campaigns less frequent, and . 01 Mar 2023 20:41:42 This video is part of the Neil A. Weiner Research Speaker series. Lawyers contacted described her as possessing exceptional legal knowledge and ability, with integrity that is beyond reproach. The ISBA finds Justice Maureen Elizabeth Connors recommended for retention to the Illinois Appellate Court First District. She has been a speaker and has participated in committees for the Cook County Bar Association and the Illinois Judicial Council. On Feb. 28, 1991, 17-year-old Robert Saleem Holbrook sat before a judge in a . John Patrick Kirby has been licensed since 1983. He has been a speaker at internal seminars. She is apart time Adjunct Professor/Instructor at Loyola University School of Law. After working in private practice and representing the 6th Ward in the Chicago City Council for thirteen years, she was appointed to the Circuit Court in 2011, re-appointed in 2014, then elected in 2016. Peter G. Karahalios. She does not report having any jury trial experience, and some non-jury trials from early in her career. From October 2018 until January 2019, he was temporarily assigned to administrative duties in the Sixth District (Markham) by the Executive Committee of the Circuit Court. She has been assigned to Chancery since January 2019. Tickets now available for Illinois Latino Judge Association Holiday Fiesta. From 2009 until 2016, she was assigned to the Criminal Division in the Second District (Skokie). Attorneys report that she is an excellent attorney with good litigation skills, professional, and a hard worker. 232: Judge Matthew Coghlan also was rated not qualified by the Council of Lawyers, which cited a case in which the Appellate Court twice overturned his decision not to grant a rehearing for a defendant who said hed confessed to murder after being tortured by detectives working for disgraced Chicago police Lt. Jon Burge. List bad judges and publish your own judicial misconduct complaints about unethical judicial officers that violate their obligations to be fair and impartial. States like Illinois are pariahs to companies, Kim said. The retention-election system, adopted in Illinois by constitutional amendment in 1962, was designed to make judges more independent of machines and the public by exempting them from partisan reelection requirements. In Illinois, circuit court judges are elected to the bench. Name (s) Address. Brendan Shiller, a Chicago attorney who helped lead the effort to unseat Coghlan, said bar associations often simply rubber-stamp judges up for retention unless theyve been hit by a scandal. Judge Mark Ciavarella Destroyed families via jail for . He also received the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Court of Honor Award in 2012. Then after an initial two-year trial period and at the end of each subsequent term voters decide whether a judge should be retained. So, we just shrug our shoulders and skip them on the ballot, which is a real injustice if you ask me. The Committee finds Tracie Porter qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Since 2017 she has been assigned to a civil call in the Sixth District (Markham). I have met some great judges. They described her as professional and calm. Other states, such as Colorado, have public commissions comprising lawyers and nonlawyers who evaluate judges performance. While on the Appellate Court she served as a presiding judge and was a member of committees for the Illinois Judicial Conference and the Illinois Supreme Court. Since 2013 he has been assigned to First Municipal, where he currently presides over a Civil Jury courtroom. The ISBA finds Justice James Fitzgerald Smith recommended for retention to the Illinois Appellate Court First District. He was one of the villains in the "believer story . By: Matt Rosenberg. She currently holds a dual assignment in the Chancery Division, Mortgage Foreclosure/Mechanics Lien section, and the Juvenile Justice Division, where she presides over the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court, an assignment she was given in 2019. Attorneys appearing before her spoke highly of her as a judge stating that she does the right research when needed, is patient and diligent. The ISBA finds Judge Patricia Spratt recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. 49:32. I am sure many of my readers have someone they are sure is the worst judge. The caller may leave a voicemail message at this number, including the telephone number where he or she can be reached. Thats based largely on his alleged role as a prosecutor in two wrongful convictions. The Committee finds Lisa Michelle Taylor qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Since 2019 she has been with Ancel Glink focusing on civil litigation defense and local government representation. For its judicial endorsements, the Tribune Editorial Board relies on the bar groups evaluations and on its own research, including discussions with lawyers and judges who know the candidates. wrongful convictions tied to disgraced former police detective Reynaldo Guevara, Ask an expert: Bar association ratings, explained, Rich told Injustice Watch leading up to the last general election, In 2020, Cook County voters cast ballots for judges in historic numbers, theres not enough transparency in the process, report from the Brennan Center for Justice. Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). Northern District of Illinois Pretrial Services. She is currently assigned to the Domestic Relations Division in the Fifth District (Bridgeview); prior to this assignment, she presided in Domestic Relations in the Daley Center, to the Sixth District (Markham) and to First Municipal, Traffic Division. Hon. She was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. He is always prepared and issues thorough and well-reasoned opinions. She was praised for her ethics and her commitment to diversity in her judicial appointments, as well as her demeanor and diligence. Her first assignment was in First Municipal. History buffs will recognize that year as 1969. She is described as thoughtful and fair. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. She currently practices with Tracie Porter PC handling residential and commercial real estate matters, and probate, corporate and securities mattes. He received high praise from attorneys contacted during the investigation for his knowledge, fairness, patience, and diligence. Judge David Yaffee. He served in many leadership positions in AFSCME Local 3315, the public defenders union, including president, vice-president, chief steward, and as a bargaining committee member. During the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, she released videos of her reading childrens' books since she couldn't visit classrooms in person, something she regularly did. While in the Circuit Court his other assignments included the County, First Municipal District, Adoption, and Traffic Divisions. Youll find candidates responses to our questionnaires for these and other offices, and all of our endorsements to date, at chicagotribune.com/candidates. She received overall positive comments for her legal knowledge and ability; a few questioned the extent of her experience in complex matters. Prior to the appointment, he had been serving as an associate judge since 2003 in First Municipal, Domestic Relations, Law Division, and Chancery. She has been a board members of the Puerto Rican Bar Association and an officer of the Illinois Latino Judges Association. By far, Judge Jones scored the worst rating of 56.8 percent. Maureen ODonoghue Hannon has been licensed since 1991. He is a member of several bar associations, has lectured on legal matters to seminars and at Northwestern University. The write-ups and recommendations are posted online and mailed to every registered voter household in the states Blue Book, a ballot information booklet. Email us at [emailprotected] or call us at (312) 521-0977. To this day Maloney is listed as "one of the worst judges in history." 3. South Dakota had been ranked No. The report noted, for instance, that 92% of all plaintiffs filing asbestos-related lawsuits in Illinois come from out of state. Attorneys gave high marks for her ability to resolve complex legal issues, her ability to preside over jury trials, her professionalism, and her diligence. Wagner said most people dont know a lot about the judges running for retention. Hon. And of all of the factors that exist to retain or not to retain a judge, that ranks as one of the most important in my mind. For next weeks election, just the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Illinois State Bar Association published write-ups giving voters more details on judges backgrounds and performance. As an alternative, during business hours, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM through 6:00 PM, an email message concerning the emergency can be sent to Emergency_Judge@ilnd.uscourts.gov. He was appointed to the Circuit Court in 2014 and elected in 2016. Howard Spitz was the first judge I referred to as the worst ever. The group says she can be insensitive to criminal defendants and issues very harsh sentences compared to other judges. She is described as being professional, fair, efficient, and even-tempered. It takes a 60 percent no vote to oust a sitting judge. The Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice, a coalition of advocates and organizations working to remake the criminal legal system, publishes a voter guide with the help of former incarcerated people and others impacted by the court system as survey scorers. Hon. For more information, the Cook County Clerk lists all of the 103 judges running for retention. Progressive activists are challenging "tough on crime" judges in a place they have long avoided: the voting booth. Ratings reflect the Committees opinion of whether candidates have the necessary qualifications for judicial service or ascension to a higher office and are not a reflection of the candidates abilities as lawyers or judges. But I do have an issue with Demacopolous. Their rulings result in punishments and fines and their rulings stand until they are appealed and then reversed. Hon. News comes daily from Chicago and Cook County about suspects freshly charged in heinous crimes even though they were already on probation or parole for earlier misdeeds, or awaiting trial while out on bail. The last two judges scored the fight 115-115. He is currently assigned to the Law Division. Hon. Rounding out the Top 5 states were Maine, Connecticut, Wyoming and Alaska. Many of the bar associations then join together to question the judicial candidate in an interview that might take up to an hour. The state of Illinois is suffering from a government-worker pension shortfall of over $111 billion - the worst retirement crisis in the nation. Judge Evans does not hear a court call. 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