Both appointed judges defeated in 1st Subcircuit

Jesse Outlaw has apparently ousted Judge Maryam Ahmad in the race for the Brim vacancy in the 1st Subcircuit. With 42 of 45 suburban precincts reporting, and 222 of 226 Chicago precincts counted, Outlaw has 35,566 votes, Ahmad 32,605. Both Ahmad and Outlaw had positive bar ratings. Outlaw did not participate in the CBA screening process and was automatically rated Not Recommended by that group, but he had positive ratings from every one of the Alliance bar groups. Ahmad had positive ratings from every bar group, including a Highly Qualified rating from the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and a Highly Recommended rating from the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

There were three candidates vying for the 1st Subcircuit Hopkins vacancy. Judge Anthony E. Simpkins will finish second behind Rhonda Crawford, who holds a better than 9,000 vote margin over Simpkins in the City and a nearly 3,000 vote margin in the suburbs. Both Simpkins and the third candidate in this race, Lisa A. Copland, received favorable bar ratings in this race. (Copland did not participate in the CBA's screening, and was rated Not Qualified by the ISBA -- but was rated Qualified or Recommended by everyone else; Simpkins had unanimously positive ratings.)

Crawford did not submit her credentials for screening by any of the bar associations.