Saturday, September 03, 2016

Michael A. Forti obtains 8th Subcircuit appointment

In an order entered yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Michael A. Forti to the 8th Subcircuit vacancy recently created by the passing of Justice Laura Cha-yu Liu.

Forti's appointment is effective September 30 and terminates December 3, 2018.

Forti was slated for a countywide vacancy in 2012 (he lost to Jessica O'Brien). He made the Associate Judge 'short list' in 2014. He served as Chief Counsel and Ethics Officer for the Illinois Department of Transportation from 2012-15. Before that, Forti served as Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Constitutional and Commercial Litigation Division of the Chicago Department of Law and as the Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel of that division.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

What? Did one of the three First District Illinois Supreme Court Justices announce this vacancy? Was there a public application process? Who made the appointment?

Anonymous said...

I live in the 8th and I did not even get a chance to apply. Come on - that's not fair.

EKT said...

Make up your minds, people. You complain when Theis uses a public process. You laud Freeman when he appoints people without public announcement. And then gripe when Burke appoints appoints Forti in a manner similar to Freeman. Don't like it? Run in 2018. Oh wait, that would take effort that exceeds anonymous blog posts.

Anonymous said...

WHY DOES THE LGBT COMMUNITY GET ANOTHER JUDGE WHILE THE LATINO COMMUNITY GETS SHUT OUT YET AGAIN???

Anonymous said...

@EKT - Don't get it twisted. Everyone just wants a fair process. Freeman appointments are like Cook County no bid contracts - but at least there is no subterfuge. It is what it is.

Burke appointments are made under the direction of a retired Supreme Court Justice and a large committee of elites but I think we all know decisions are made by a committee of one from the 14th Ward.

Theis appointments are the biggest joke in Cook County. Pre-appointed hand picked insiders made to look like the winners of arduous subcircuit or countywide competitions. But at least the over hyped (let's congratulate ourselves on our hard work and transparency) press release announcing the transformations from former law clerks or judicial selection committee members to new judge offers some comic relief.

And oh yes, based upon the 2016 primary results, you can bet the farm that each and every one these appointed judges is being targeted by multiple anonymous commenters of this blog, each strategizing to make sure that the temporary appointment of the new judge is really, in fact, temporary. Let's be brutally honest, that's why most of us are here, right?

Anonymous said...

Forti is a great choice! And what the heck does it matter if he's Gay or not if he will make a good, ethical, hard working judge?

Anonymous said...

Pethers out and Forti in. LBGT judges are at par. Immediately after Theis appointed Fernandez, the PRBA fell all over themselves rushing to honor Theis with an award. Maybe it's time to prime the pump again. Move along Hispanics, nothing to see here.

EKT said...

Maryam Ahmad challenging Crawford in 1 as a write-in.

Anonymous said...

Can someone interpret Westlaw 5/17-16.1: Write-in votes; count; declaration of intent list of eligible candidates, etc. for me please? Assuming it's applicable to the Crawford/Ahmad matter.

Anonymous said...

I know Forti personally and think he's a pompous ass. However, he was found qualified by all the bar associations. So do you think he should be disqualified because he's gay? If he were just a regular old straight white guy that would be better?

EKT said...

Saltouras appointed in 10.