Monday, March 18, 2013

Illinois Judges Foundation plans April 3 Spring Reception


The Illinois Judges Foundation will host its Spring Reception on Wednesday, April 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Court, in Philip H. Corboy Hall.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans will present the IJF's annual Harold Sullivan Scholarship Award. The $5,000 award is given to a law student in good standing attending one of the nine Illinois law schools. Judge James F. Holderman, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, will also provide remarks, including an original poem.

The IJF will also confer the Justice for All Award on Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride. The award is meant in appreciation for the commitment of Kilbride and the the Supreme Court as a whole to promoting equal access to justice, especially for the poor and vulnerable, particularly in the Illinois civil courts and administrative agencies. During Chief Justice Kilbride's term the Illinois Supreme Court has established the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice to further these goals.

The IJF hopes to provide more than just public appreciation for these efforts: The IJF plans to earmark a substantial amount of the proceeds of the April 3 fundraiser to fund an externship for an Illinois law student to work with the Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, to assist with the work of the Commission, and to raise awareness among the future lawyers of this state of the importance of equal access to justice for all.

Tickets for the IJF fundraiser are $100 each and sponsorships are available (Bronze Sponsor, $ 250.00; Silver Sponsor, $ 400.00; Gold Sponsor, $ 500.00; or Platinum Sponsor, $ 1,000.00). To purchase tickets or to help sponsor for the event, click on this link. For questions, call any of the numbers in the flyer shown above or email ijf@chicagobar.org.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

New 41st Ward recycling location, electronics collection announced


No, we don't yet have blue carts.  But 41st Ward Ald. Mary O'Connor has announced a new drop-off recycling location for cans, glass, papers and plastics at the old 41st Ward yard, 6453 W. Higgins.

There are two other drop-off locations in the 41st Ward, at Chevalier Woods, 5530 N. East River Road, and the (almost always overflowing) location at Milwaukee and Devon. If you're in another part of the City, click here to see a map of other City drop-off locations.

On April 6, from 9:00 to noon, the 41st Ward will conduct its annual Electronics Recycling Day. This year, the event will be held at Immaculate Conception School, 7263 W. Talcott. In addition to electronics, clothing will be collected (with proceeds going to the Epilepsy Foundation), and aluminum cans (with proceeds going to IC School). Paper shredding will be offered by AT&T -- and folks can also drop off their old newspapers in the collection bins now relocated to the same west parking lot of the school where the April 6 drive will take place.

For those who like to plan ahead, Chicago's citywide Clean and Green Volunteer Clean-Up will take place April 20. Registration closes April 12 (click on the link for more information).

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Who sits where -- early, early 2014 edition

Updated and corrected 3/12/13

What follows is not a comprehensive list of Cook County judicial vacancies, but rather a list of vacancies that have been filled by Supreme Court appointment. There may be (and often are) vacancies which the Supreme Court has not filled. There will be additional vacancies, and additional appointments between now and late fall when the Illinois State Board of Elections posts an authoritative list of judicial vacancies in anticipation of the 2014 primary.

As always, errors or omissions in this list are mine alone and I am grateful for additions and corrections provided.

Appellate Court Vacancies

Vacancy of the Hon. Joseph Gordon -- William H. Taylor
Vacancy of the Hon. Michael J. Murphy -- John B. Simon
Vacancy of the Hon. John O. Steele -- Sheldon A. Harris

Countywide Vacancies

Vacancy of the Hon. Nancy J. Arnold -- Alfred M. Swanson, Jr.
Vacancy of the Hon. Dennis J. Burke -- Michael F. Otto
Vacancy of the Hon. Maureen E. Connors -- Peter J. Vilkelis
Vacancy of the Hon. James D. Egan -- Daniel J. Kubasiak
Vacancy of the Hon. Nathaniel R. Howse, Jr. -- Caroline K. Moreland
Vacancy of the Hon. Barbara A. McDonald -- Cynthia Y. Cobbs
Vacancy of the Hon. P. Scott Neville -- Gregory Emmett Ahern, Jr.
Vacancy of the Hon. Jesse Reyes -- Jean Margaret Cocozza

Subcircuit Vacancies

4th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Richard J. Billik, Jr. -- Daniel L. Peters

7th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. William H. Taylor II -- Freddrenna M. Lyle

10th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Daniel J. Sullivan -- Anthony C. Kyriakopoulos

11th Subcircuit
"A" Vacancy* -- vacant**

12th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Edward R. Jordan -- James L. Kaplan

13th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Anthony A. Iosco -- Lauretta Higgins Wolfson

15th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. John T. Doody, Jr. -- Diana L. Embil

---------------------------------------------------
* This vacancy was created by the resignation of Judge Susan J. McDunn and assigned to the 11th Subcircuit. This was initially reported as a 10th Subcircuit vacancy, but that error was corrected by the Court.
** Judge Kenneth L. Fletcher was appointed to this vacancy, but that appointment expired on December 31, 2012.

Friday, March 08, 2013

List of Cook County Associate Judge applicants made public, public comments sought

Updated and corrected 3/11/13

By my count, the new list of applicants for Cook County Associate Judge includes 12 judges currently sitting by Supreme Court appointment, including the jurist most recently appointed, Judge Jean M. Cocozza. Nine former judges are also seeking to return to the bench.

A total of 277 persons reportedly applied. One has since withdrawn. A complete list of the 276 remaining applicants follows.

The precise number of vacancies available has not been publicized. Under Supreme Court Rule 39, there had to be at least five associate judge vacancies before applications for a new class could be sought. The number of vacancies may increase before this list is pared down to two finalists for each vacancy -- but, for example, there were only nine vacancies when the last group of associate judges was chosen in April 2012 (and applications for that class closed in November 2010).

The Circuit Court of Cook County is inviting "anyone with relevant information regarding any associate judge candidate to communicate by letter to the Circuit Court of Cook County Nominating Committee, c/o Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, 50 West Washington Street, Room 2600, Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago, Illinois 60602."
  1. Rishi Agrawal
  2. Magdalena Aguilar
  3. Gregory Emmett Ahern, Jr.
  4. Keith Najib Ahmad
  5. Julie Bess Aimen
  6. Joy Christine Airaudi
  7. Brian Edward Alexander
  8. John Michael Allegretti
  9. Arleen Anderson
  10. Louis George Apostal
  11. Kina N. Arnold
  12. Jennifer Eun Bae
  13. Brian T. Bailey
  14. Michael Brendan Barrett
  15. Edward J. Barron
  16. Austin William Bartlett
  17. Gideon Abraham Baum
  18. Deidre Baumann
  19. Charles Stanley Beach
  20. Michael Ian Bender
  21. Philip Louis Bernstein
  22. Thomas Francis Beisty
  23. Thomas David Bilyk
  24. Sandra Mary Blake
  25. Steven Paul Blonder
  26. Jeffrey S. Blumenthal
  27. Kevin Patrick Bolger
  28. Shauna Louise Boliker
  29. Karen J. Bowes
  30. Stuart Morris Brody
  31. Lloyd James Brooks
  32. Thomas David Brooks
  33. Joel David Buikema
  34. Alejandro Caffarelli
  35. George Louis Canellis, Jr.
  36. Matthew James Carmody
  37. James Robert Carroll
  38. Thomas Joseph Carroll
  39. Carol Anne Casey
  40. Theodore John Castanes
  41. Theresa Christine Ceko
  42. Sean Sohag Chaudhuri
  43. Vincenzo Chimera
  44. Steve Christophell
  45. Jeffrey George Chrones
  46. Joel Louis Chupack
  47. Uric Richard Clark
  48. Michael Gerard Clarke
  49. Robert Gerard Clarke
  50. Gerald Vernon Patrick Cleary
  51. Kellyn Doyle Coakley
  52. Jean Margaret Cocozza
  53. Michael Jeffry Cohen
  54. David Joseph Coleman
  55. H. Yvonne Coleman
  56. Christine Elizabeth Cook
  57. Gary Thomas Copp
  58. Cordelia Coppleson
  59. Pamela Ingersol Cotton
  60. Patrick Kevin Coughlin
  61. Daniel Thomas Coyne
  62. James Patrick Crawley
  63. Michael Friedric Crowe
  64. Kevin P. Cunningham
  65. Thomas Maloney Cushing
  66. Geraldine Ann D'Souza
  67. Andrew Robert Dalkin
  68. Colleen Reardon Daley
  69. Yolaine Marie Dauphin
  70. Gabriel Joseph DeMatteo
  71. Michael Joseph Dickman
  72. Karen Jane Dimond
  73. Mellisa Ann Dukin
  74. William Xavier Elward
  75. Thomas Edward Epach, Jr.
  76. Mark Andrew Ertler
  77. Dennis Frederick Esford
  78. Sherry Lynn Eshoo
  79. Carl Lauras Evans, Jr.
  80. William Nicholas Fahy
  81. Nina Jean Fain
  82. Daniel Eric Falb
  83. Charles A. Fanucchi
  84. Suzin Farber
  85. Laura Lechowicz Felicione
  86. Tiffany Mary Ferguson
  87. Rossana Patricia Fernandez
  88. Iris Gabrielle Ferosie
  89. Mark Vincent Ferrante
  90. Karla Marie Fiaoni
  91. Lester Wolfe Finkle
  92. Stephen Fiorentino
  93. John Louis Fioti
  94. Charles Francis Fitzgerald
  95. Dennis Michael Fleming
  96. Monica Ann Forte
  97. Michael Angelo Forti
  98. Kimberly Michelle Foxx
  99. Steven J. Fruth
  100. Nancy Arado Galassini
  101. Kulmeet Singh Galhotra
  102. Cheryl Wronkiewicz Galvin
  103. Veryl Lorraine Gambino
  104. Camela Annette Gardner
  105. Michael Perry Gerber
  106. Sheryl Rae Ghezzi
  107. Aleksandra Nikolich Gillespie
  108. Mauro Glorioso
  109. Megan Elizabeth Goldish
  110. David Bruce Goldman
  111. Jennifer Lynn Gonzalez
  112. Peter Michael Gonzalez
  113. Ricky Darnell Granderson
  114. Nicholas George Graspas
  115. Jonathan Clark Green
  116. Paula J. Green
  117. Theodore Nathaniel Green
  118. Robert Pawel Groszek
  119. James Edward Hanlon, Jr.
  120. Maureen O'Donoghue Hannon
  121. Anjana Molina Jain Hansen
  122. Sheila Janine Harrell
  123. Toya Tinette Harvey
  124. Ira Neil Helfgot
  125. David Christopher Herrera
  126. Michael James Hood
  127. Kevin William Horan
  128. Jamie Lynn Hull
  129. LaShonda Annette Hunt
  130. Matthew Alan Hurd
  131. Michael Jaskula
  132. Glenn J. Kahn
  133. James Lewis Kaplan
  134. Kim Richard Kardas
  135. Edward John King
  136. Gerald Allen Kirschbaum
  137. James John Knibbs
  138. Thomas Peter Kougias
  139. Scott Michael Kozicki
  140. Mitchell D. Kreiter
  141. Joan Marie G. Kubalanza
  142. Anthony Christ Kyriakopoulos
  143. David H. Latham
  144. Christopher Edward Lawler
  145. Kevin Thomas Lee
  146. Ellis Bernard Levin
  147. Lawrence Wolf Levin
  148. Lori Gail Levin
  149. Francis John Leyhane, III
  150. Denise Marie Loftus
  151. William Joseph Luby
  152. Ricardo Lugo
  153. Mercedes Luque-Rosales
  154. John Fitzgerald Lyke
  155. Irene Marie Lyons
  156. Sean Patrick MacCarthy
  157. Myron Franklin Mackoff
  158. Donna B. Makowski
  159. Alfredo Maldonado
  160. Edward James Maloney
  161. Jerome Frank Marconi
  162. James Ira Marcus
  163. Michael Jay Marovich
  164. Maritza Martinez
  165. Allan W. Masters
  166. Cornelius John McCauley
  167. John Wesley McNulty
  168. Adrienne Denise Mebane
  169. Ralph Eugene Meczyk
  170. Monique Michelle Medley
  171. Mary Alice Melchor
  172. Pamela McLean Meyerson
  173. Annette Lynn Milleville
  174. Martha A. Mills
  175. Gregory Tyrone Mitchell
  176. Lisette Catherine Mojica
  177. Ira Alexander Moltz
  178. Caroline Kate Moreland
  179. James Vincent Murphy, III
  180. James C. Murray, Jr.
  181. David R. Navarro
  182. Mary Terese Nicolau
  183. Brendan Alan O'Brien
  184. Patrick Halpin O'Connor
  185. Kevin John Ochalla
  186. Sanju David Oommen
  187. Jay Roman Orlowski
  188. Radusa Ostojic
  189. Michael Francis Otto
  190. Jesse Outlaw
  191. Sharon Finegan Patterson
  192. Linda Johanna Pauel
  193. Marian Emily Perkins
  194. Daniel Lawrence Peters
  195. Gina Angela Piemonte
  196. Gregory Gerard Plesha
  197. Paul Wil1iam Plotnick
  198. Carlo Ettore Pou
  199. William Burnett Raines
  200. Ronald Anthony Rascia
  201. Martin Douglas Reggi
  202. James Michael Reilly
  203. Judith Carol Rice
  204. Travis Richardson
  205. Steven Joseph Rizzi
  206. Robert Joseph Lane Robertson
  207. Edward N. Robles
  208. RoxAnne Lynn Rochester
  209. Joanne Marie Rogers
  210. Richard Benson Rogich
  211. Mary Katherine Roller
  212. Abbey Gail Romanek
  213. Lori Ann Roper
  214. Steven Jay Rosenblum
  215. Curtis Bennett Ross
  216. Eugene John Rudnik, Jr.
  217. Katherine Marie Ryan
  218. Rhonda Sallee
  219. Stephanie D. Saltouros
  220. Catherine Dorothy Sanders
  221. Devlin Joseph Schoop
  222. Bryan David Schultz
  223. Debra Ann Seaton
  224. Julie Ann Doherty Sebastian
  225. Karen Georgina Seimetz
  226. James Anthony Shapiro
  227. Letitia Spunar Sheats
  228. Robin Denise Shoffner
  229. Rosa Maria Silva
  230. Joel Barry Simberg
  231. Henry M. Singer
  232. Maol Murray Sloan
  233. Eugene Marlon Smith
  234. Mary Smith
  235. Joan Ellen Smuda
  236. Marc B. Stahl
  237. Denise Y. Staniec
  238. Gregory Joseph Steadman
  239. Ketki Shroff Steffen
  240. Brian Joseph Stephenson
  241. Stephen Stern
  242. Rodney Walter Stewart
  243. Sharon Elaine Strickland
  244. Michael Alan Strom
  245. James Michael Sullivan
  246. Marita Clare Sullivan
  247. William Bernard Sullivan
  248. Arthur Dale Sutton
  249. Alfred M. Swanson, Jr.
  250. Karin Elizabeth Swanson
  251. Shital Hasmukhbhai Thakkar
  252. Denise Marie Tomasek
  253. Bradley R. Trowbridge
  254. Stephen Louis Tyma
  255. Alma Learetta Tyson Walker
  256. George Mario Velcich
  257. Peter John Vilkelis
  258. Michael Joseph Vitale
  259. Alexander Vroustouris
  260. Linda Ann Walls
  261. Joseph A. Walsh
  262. James D. Wascher
  263. Steven Gregory Watkins
  264. Ruth Richardson Watson
  265. Susan Hovey Webster
  266. Tammy Lynn Wendt
  267. Arthur P. Wheatley
  268. John Francis Wilk
  269. Arthur Wesley Willis
  270. John Wellington Wilson
  271. Howard J. Wise
  272. Lauretta Higgins Wolfson
  273. James Adolph Wright
  274. Roger Zamparo, Jr.
  275. Robert Michael Zelek
  276. Alan H. Zenoff
Please email me if you spot any errors or omissions in this list.