First campaign website -- and fundraiser -- of the 2012 season

Judge Deborah Jean Gubin, who was appointed last year to the 8th Subcircuit vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Maureen Durkin Roy, has launched a campaign website in a bid to remain on the bench after the 2012 elections. That's a link to the campaign website in the preceding sentence. (Judge Gubin also has a campaign Facebook page; this page appears to be currently accessible only to those signed into Facebook, but I provide the link because the apparent intent is to make that page public.)

Judge Gubin has scheduled a fundraiser for Thursday, June 30, 2011, from 5:00 to 7:00pm at La Rosetta, 70 West Madison Street. Tickets are scaled from $100 to $1,000. More information is available on the campaign website.

---------------------------------------------
Updated 6/28/11

Regina Ann Scannicchio appointed to 14th Subcircuit vacancy

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Chicago family law attorney Regina Ann Scannicchio to the 14th Judicial Subcircuit vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Lawrence O'Gara.

Scannicchio was among the finalists when Associate Judges were last chosen in 2009. A 1988 graduate of John Marshall Law School, Scannichio is a member of the Executive Committee of the law school's Board of Directors. Her appointment is effective July 5, and terminates on December 3, 2012.

Who currently sits where - 2012 edition

Updated 6/24/11
Updated 7/8/11
Updated 7/16/11
Updated and Republished 8/8/11

Most Cook County judicial vacancies aren't really vacant.

When a judge leaves office, the Illinois Supreme Court will usually fill the vacancy by temporary appointment.

In order to remain on the bench, the persons appointed must usually seek election, either to the seats to which they were appointed, or to some other vacancy.

Sometimes the Cook County Democratic Party will back the judge appointed by the Supreme Court, but not always. Sometimes the party will slate the appointed judge for a different vacancy -- and sometimes the appointed judge will receive no party backing at all.

What follows is a list of the vacancies I've compiled and the identity of the person appointed.

I mean no disrespect to anyone whom I've omitted and expect to update the list as circumstances require:

Countywide Vacancies
Vacancy of the Hon. Claudia Grace Conlon -- Stanley L. Hill
Vacancy of the Hon. Daniel E. Jordan -- Jean M. Prendergast
Vacancy of the Hon. Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird -- Erica L. Reddick
Vacancy of the Hon. John J. Moran -- Russell W. Hartigan
Vacancy of the Hon. Donald J. O'Brien, Jr. -- Peter J. Vilkelis
Vacancy of the Hon. Aurelia Pucinski -- Thomas R. Allen
Vacancy of the Hon. Victoria A. Stewart -- Caroline K. Moreland
Vacancy of the Hon. John A. Ward -- Alfred M. Swanson, Jr.


3rd Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Patrick E. McGann -- Maureen Leahy Delehanty
Vacancy of the Hon. Colleen McSweeney-Moore -- Thomas J. Carroll


4th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Jennifer Duncan-Brice -- Daniel L. Peters
Vacancy of the Hon. Daniel A. Riley -- Kevin Horan


7th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Cheryl A. Starks -- Tommy Brewer
Vacancy of the Hon. Lawrence W. Terrell -- Lorna Propes
Vacancy of the Hon. Amanda Toney -- Arthur P. Wheatley


8th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Thomas R. Chiola -- Celia G. Gamrath
Vacancy of the Hon. Melvin J. Cole -- James L. Kaplan
Vacancy of the Hon. Maureen Durkin Roy -- Deborah J. Gubin
"A" Vacancy -- Laura C. Liu


9th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Gerald C. Bender -- Lionel Jean-Baptiste
Vacancy of the Hon. James R. Epstein -- Mary S. Trew


10th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Daniel M. Locallo -- Anthony C. Kyriakopoulos


11th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Edward P. O'Brien -- Michael R. Clancy


12th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Mary K. Rochford -- Andrea M. Schleifer


13th Judicial Subcircuit
"A" Vacancy -- Ketki Shroff Steffen


14th Judicial Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Lawrence O'Gara -- Regina Ann Scannicchio