The Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board today filed a Complaint with the Illinois Courts Commission against Judge Valarie E. Turner, charging that she is "mentally unable to perform her duties." The JIB Complaint specifically alleges that Judge Turner has been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and suffers from memory loss.
Turner, as FWIW readers know, was the Markham-based judge that let then-law clerk Rhonda Crawford don Judge Turner's robe and preside over some traffic cases.
The Complaint does not ask for any specific relief from the Courts Commission, only that it "make such order in accordance with Section 15 of Article VI of the Illinois Constitution as the Commission may deem appropriate" (Section 15 of Article VI being the section of the Constitution that creates the JIB and Courts Commission, expressly giving the latter the authority, after notice and public hearing, to "retire a Judge... who is physically or mentally unable to perform his or her duties").
David Thomas has more in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (subscription required).
21 hours ago
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This is a very heartbreaking conclusion to an already sad story. I wish her peace and comfort, and strength to her family. Very sad.
The news about Judge Turner is unfortunate, but not entirely surprising. First, best wishes to Judge John Turner and the entire Turner family as they confront the challenges ahead. I wouldn't wish Alzheimer's on even my worst enemy, much less, a good person and nice judge such as Judge Valerie Turner. Obviously, IF (big if) the reporting is accurate, this clearly would explain Judge Turner's involvement in such an obviously bone-headed move of letting a hack lawyer don a robe and play judge. That said, this JIB Complaint hints of a cover-up. How? Don't tell anyone with a functioning brain that Presiding Judge Marjorie Laws and several of her colleagues in the Markham Courthouse didn't know or seriously suspect that Judge Turner had a cognitive impairment. Indeed, the very fact that a judge of her pedigree -- former Assistant U.S. Attorney and big firm lawyer -- was hearing TRAFFIC TICKETS in the concourse level at the Markham Courthouse, was a a major clue that someone in upper management had concerns about Judge Turner's fitness for judicial duties.
What did Presiding Judge Marjorie Laws know and when did she know it?
What did Chief Judge Tim Evans know and when did he know it?
What about the other Circuit Judges at the Markham Courthouse? What did they know and when did they know it? Is it possible that "Judge" Crawford might have "shadowed" other proceedings, possibly facilitated by Presiding Judge Marjorie Laws but that we only found out about this gross misconduct because a judge with cognitive impairment didn't (couldn't) cover for "Judge" Crawford.
It's no secret that there will be at least 4 vacancies in the Second Subcircuit in 2018 thanks to the gift that keeps giving a/k/a Rhonda Crawford: Laws, Camile Willis, John and Valerie Turner. When you include the Lampkin vacancy, there will be 5 lottery tickets to the minor leagues. Lord help us that the people of the Second Subcircuit do a better job of electing judges in the future because let's face it: Judge-Elect D. Renee "I Don't Have Bar Ratings But I Do Have 26 Years of Legal Experience if You Include My 15 Years as a Paralegal" Jackson is just another incompetence-driven scandal waiting to happen, even if they just plop her into Traffic or Parentage Court for the next 20 years. Unless, of course, she suddenly falls victim to PTSD and must take doctor-order medical leave, ala Arnette Hubbard and/or Vanessa Hopkins.
Preckwinkle needs to sic her new pet prosecutor Kim "Transparency" Foxx on the Circuit Judges and drain THAT swamp.
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