Birthday fundraiser set for Judge Joanne Rosado

Supporters of Judge Joanne Rosado's 11th Subcircuit candidacy are planning a fundraiser for Thursday, August 10, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Lazo's, 2009 N. Western Ave.

Joanne Angsten and Hilda Frontany are the listed hosts for the event, which is meant to commemorate Judge Rosado's recent 46th birthday. This explains why tickets for the event are priced at $46 each (there is a supporter sponsorship available, for $146). Although there is a cash bar, dinner and parking are included in the ticket price.

For more information about the fundraiser, or to order tickets, email Pericles Abbasi at pericles@uchicago.edu

Shapiro fundraiser set for September 12

For those who like to fill their dance cards out in advance, supporters of the 8th Subcircuit candidacy of James A. "Jamie" Shaprio, have announced a fundraiser for their candidate on Tuesday, September 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Hubbard Inn, 110 W. Hubbard.

Tickets for the event are priced at $100 each, but sponsorships are available (Supporter - $150, Bronze - $250, Silver - $500, Gold - $1,000). For more information, or to reserve tickets, email james@lasallestrategies.com. Tickets are also available at this link.

Oran F. Whiting appointed to reopened Brewer vacancy

The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Oran F. Whiting to the countywide vacancy about to be vacated by Judge Litricia P. Payne (who is moving to a pending 1st Subcircuit vacancy).

Whiting's appointment, like Payne's new appointment, is effective August 7 and terminates on December 3.

FWIW readers will recall that Whiting had previously announced plans to seek a judicial vacancy and that he was among the 28 judicial hopefuls who appeared for the Cook County Democratic Party's pre-slating meeting in June. Among his other career accomplishments, Whiting has served as a Commissioner of the Illinois Court of Claims, as a hearing officer for the Illinois Secretary of State and, currently, as a member of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois’ Oversight Committee.

Judge Payne to switch seats

The Supreme Court entered an order yesterday appointing Judge Litricia P. Payne to a First Subcircuit vacancy that will open up when Judge Orville E. Hambright, Jr. retires on August 4.

Judge Payne's appointment is effective August 7 and expires December 3, 2018.

Payne is currently serving on the bench pursuant to a December 2016 appointment to the countywide Brewer vacancy. The Brewer vacancy will be unfilled again... for now, anyway.

Who Sits Where -- Christmas in July edition

Time to update this list again to reflect the latest announced vacancies and appointments. I assume there are vacancies I don't have on this list, but this list is as complete as I can make it now. All errors of omission or commission in this list are mine alone and I am grateful for additions and corrections provided.

Countywide Vacancies

Vacancy of the Hon. Eileen Mary Brewer -- Litricia P. Payne
Vacancy of the Hon. Evelyn B. Clay -- John S. Fotopoulos
Vacancy of the Hon. Russell W. Hartigan -- Cecilia A. Horan
Vacancy of the Hon. Michelle D. Jordan -- Clare J. Quish
Vacancy of the Hon. Sheila McGinnis -- Marina E. Ammendola
Vacancy of the Hon. Jean Prendergast Rooney -- Elizabeth A. Karkula

Subcircuit Vacancies

1st Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Orville E. Hambright, Jr. -- vacant

2nd Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Bertina E. Lampkin -- Fredrick H. Bates
Vacancy of the Hon. Marjorie C. Laws -- Adrienne E. Davis
Vacancy of the Hon. James L. Rhodes -- Toya T. Harvey
Vacancy of the Hon. John D. Turner, Jr. -- Travis Richardson
Vacancy of the Hon. Camille E. Willis -- Debra Ann Seaton

3rd Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Maureen Leahy Delehanty -- Patrick T. Stanton

4th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Thomas Davy -- David R. Navarro
Vacancy of the Hon. James Riley -- John A. O'Meara

5th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Patricia Banks -- H. Yvonne Coleman
Vacancy of the Hon. Rickey Jones -- Marian E. Perkins
Vacancy of the Hon. Edward Washington II -- vacant

6th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Richard C. Cooke -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Gloria Chevere -- Kent A. Delgado
Vacancy of the Hon. Robert Lopez Cepero -- Stephanie K. Miller

8th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Candace J. Fabri -- Robin D. Shoffner
Vacancy of the Hon. Laura Cha-yu Liu -- Michael A. Forti
Vacancy of the Hon. Sheryl A. Pethers -- Myron F. Mackoff

10th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Eileen O'Neill Burke -- Stephanie Saltouros
Vacancy of the Hon. Donald J. Suriano -- Gerald V. Cleary

11th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Kathleen Kennedy -- Joanne F. Rosado

13th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. Clayton J. Crane -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Jeffrey Lawrence -- Michael Perry Gerber
Vacancy of Hon. Ann O'Donnell -- Samuel J. Betar, III

15th Subcircuit

Vacancy of the Hon. George F. Scully, Jr. -- Diana L. Embil
Vacancy of the Hon. Frank G. Zelezinski -- Anthony C. Swanagan

Updated with additional information on July 22

July 26 fundraiser for Rishi Agrawal

Supporters of Rishi Agrawal's 8th Subcircuit judicial bid have announced a campaign kickoff event for their candidate.

The campaign kickoff will be held on Wednesday, July 26, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Bar Louie's Dearborn Station - Printers Row location, 47 W. Polk Street. Ald. Ameya Pawar is the Honorary Host for this event; the other listed hosts are Mike Maddaloni, Saadia Siddique, Sufyan Sohel and Will Barroso.

Tickets for the event cost $50 apiece, but sponsorships are available ($100 - Friend, $250 - Benefactor). For more information about the fundraiser, or to reserve tickets, email RishiAgrawalforJudge@gmail.com.

A cautionary tale and a blogger's confession

I removed a name this morning from the list of hosts I initially included in yesterday's post about Judge Clare Joyce Quish's August 9 fundraiser. I admit my share of fault in this: When I got the information for the post from the campaign, I found I could copy and paste the host list without retyping each name, and I did. That meant I just glanced at the list, long enough to notice that this was a list of very prominent people, but not long enough to notice that a sitting judge was listed as one of the hosts.

My readers are more alert than I was. Soon after the post went up, I received a comment along the lines of 'I didn't know So-and-So had retired, but he must have, else why is his name attached to this fundraiser?' I didn't run the comment because it also took a gratuitous, or at least unnecessary, swipe against someone else -- but I am, as always, grateful to the author of the comment for alerting me.

I immediately reached out to the Quish campaign about this and, this morning, word has filtered back: The inclusion of the judge's name in the list was a mistake.

As my kids might have said during their teenage years, no duh.

Still, I'm not here to embarrass anyone. On the other hand, there's no sense in merely editing out the name and pretending it didn't happen; my blog had over 1,000 page views yesterday. And my information was taken from a flyer that had presumably been sent already to prospective donors. It had been seen.

So I offer this episode as a cautionary tale to campaigns going forward: Don't place too much responsibility in the hands of a campaign consultant or fundraiser who may not understand the limitations that the Code of Judicial Conduct puts on judicial campaigns. Have someone with judicial campaign experience look at fundraising invites before they get out into the great wide world.

Associate Judge Samuel Betar III appointed to 13th Subcircuit vacancy

The Illinois Supreme Court today appointed Cook County Associate Judge Samuel J. Betar III to a 13th Subcircuit vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Ann O'Donnell.

Betar's appointment is effective July 28; it terminates December 3, 2018.

Judge O'Donnell was first elected to the Circuit Court in 2008; she was retained in 2014.

August 3 fundraiser set for Judge Cecilia Anne Horan

Supporters of Judge Cecilia Horan's countywide judicial campaign are organizing a fundraiser for their candidate on Thursday, August 3, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted.

Jeremy Gottschalk, Ray Koenig, 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez, 40th Ward Ald. Patrick O’Connor, and Alain Villeneuve are the listed hosts for this event. Tickets are $125 apiece, and sponsorships are available (Supporter - $250, Sponsor - $500, Patron - $1,000, Chair - $1,500, and Host - $2,500). "Young professionals" will be admitted for $75 each. Tickets are available online at this link.

For more information about the event, or to find out what qualifies as a "young professional", email eric@blueprintcampaignconsulting.com.

August 9 fundraiser set for Lindsay Hugé

Supporters of Lindsay Hugé's 8th Subcircuit campaign have scheduled a fundraiser for their candidate on Wednesday, August 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at The Cliff Dwellers Club, 200 S. Michigan Ave.

Aldermen Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward), James Cappleman (46th Ward), Ameya Pawar (47th Ward) and Joe Moore (49th ward) are listed as honorary hosts for this event. "Local jazz talent" will be featured. Tickets cost $75 each ($125 per couple) and sponsorships are available ($250 - Supporter, $500 - Bronze Sponsor, $1,000 - Silver Sponsor, and $2,500 - Gold Sponsor) and may be obtained online at this link.

For more information, or to reserve tickets, call (773) 270-2051 or email james@lasallestrategies.com.

Two early August fundraisers set for Judge Clare Joyce Quish

Revised July 21, 2017

Supporters of Judge Clare Joyce Quish's countywide election bid are planning two fundraisers in early August for their candidate.

The first of these is set for Wednesday, August 2, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., at Latinicity, on the 3rd floor of Block 37, 108 N. State Street.

Jonathan Amarilio and Trisha Rich are the listed hosts for this event, which is billed as a "young professionals reception."

Tickets are available for $50 apiece, but sponsorships are available (Supporter - $100, Patron - $200, Sponsor - $500, Host - $1,000, and Chair - $1,500) and may be purchased online at this link.

The second Quish event is set for the following Wednesday, August 9, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., at Petterino's, 150 N. Dearborn Street (the reception will be in Petterino's lower level (entrance off Randolph Street). Chuck Cole, Kevin Conway, John Cooney, Robert Cooney Jr., Steven Hart, Keith Hebeisen, Christopher Hurley, Dan Kotin, Patrick Salvi, and Gretchen Harris Sperry are the listed hosts for this reception.

Tickets for this second event are $250 each, and sponsorships are available for this event as well ($500 - Supporter, $1,000 - Patron, $1,500 - Sponsor, $2,500 - Host, and $5,000 - Chair). Tickets may be obtained online at this link.

For more information about the reception, or to reserve tickets, call Eric at (773) 562-9559 or email eric@blueprintcampaignconsulting.com.

August 9 fundraiser set for Judge David Navarro

Supporters of Judge David Navarro's election bid are planning a fundraiser for their candidate on Wednesday, August 9, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., at Moe's Cantina, 155 W. Kinzie Street. Claudia Castro, Anna Lozoya, Sulema Medrano, Alex Menchaca, Lisette Mojica, Juan Morado Jr., Ernesto Palomo, Martin Quintana, and Federico Rodriguez are the listed hosts for the event.

Tickets for the event are $50 each, and will be available at the door. Sponsorships are available (VIP - $100, Patron - $250, Benefactor - $500). For more information about the fundraiser, or to reserve tickets, email electjudgedavidnavarro@gmail.com or see this page of the candidate's website.

August 1 fundraiser set for Judge Stephanie Saltouros

Supporters of Judge Stephanie Saltouros's 10th Subcircuit election bid are planning a Tuesday, August 1 reception for their candidate, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Billy Goat Inn, 1535 W. Madison St.

Tickets for the event are $100 each, but sponsorships are available (Host - $500, Sponsor - $1,000, Patron - $2,500, Chair - $5,000). For more information about the event, or to reserve tickets, email kellymarie@kmmconsulting.com.

47th Ward Democratic Orgainzation to screen judicial candidates on July 25

The 47th Ward Democratic Organization's Judicial Recommendation Committee has announced plans to screen countywide judicial hopefuls, and judicial candidates planning to file in the 6th, 8th, and 10th Subcircuits, on Tuesday, July 25.

Candidates will need to schedule a time for their presentations. To make an appointment, or for additional information about the screening meeting, email Rob Kern at 47thdems@gmail.com. Appointments need to be set up by July 19, Kern told FWIW.

In a press release, Committeeman Paul Rosenfeld stated that more than 20 well-qualified persons applied to serve on the Judicial Recommendation Committee showing "the importance of the 47th Ward in selecting new judges." The 47th Ward's Judicial Recommendation Committee consists of Committeeman Paul Rosenfeld, Michael Del Galdo, Steven Hart, Sandy Morris, Jim Erwin, Brendan Shiller, Jack Lydon, Coral Negron, David Saunders, Jay Edelson, Matthew Belcher, and Jennifer Russell.

John Fotopolous appointed to countywide vacancy

The Illinois Supreme Court has today appointed Orland Park attorney John S. Fotopoulos to the countywide vacancy created by the recent retirement of Judge Evelyn B. Clay. The appointment is effective August 7 and terminates December 3, 2018.

Fotopoulos has been licensed as an attorney since 2000, according to ARDC. He was a candidate for a 15th Subcircuit vacancy in the 2014 Primary. Currently, Fotopoulos operates a law office in Orland Park, focusing on personal injury and criminal defense matters.

July 25 fundraiser for Judge Stephanie Miller

Supporters of Judge Stephanie Miller's 6th Subcircuit election bid are planning a Tuesday, July 25 reception for their candidate, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Billy Goat Inn, 1535 W. Madison St.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $50 each, and sponsorships are available (Host - $150, Sponsor - $300, Patron -- $500, Chair - $1,000). Appetizers will be served; there will be a limited open bar. For more information, or to reserve tickets, email info@electjudgestephaniemiller.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Gino Betts to seek 5th Subcircuit vacancy

Attorney Gino Betts has announced plans to seek a 5th Subcircuit vacancy in the 2018 primary. His supporters have set up a campaign website touting his candidacy. That's a link to the site in the preceding sentence; a link has also been added to the blog Sidebar.

According to ARDC, Betts has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 2009. Betts' campaign biography states that he now works for Chicago's "police oversight agency," presumably the Independent Police Review Authority, although a Facebook page indicates he is employed by the new Civilian Office of Police Accountability (which is scheduled to formally start operations in mid-September). Some uncertainty in this regard is understandable, during this time of transition.

Betts' campaign biography is far more certain about his background before becoming involved in police accountability matters. An excerpt:

I grew up in Chicago on a block where no one came outside. We stayed indoors to insulate ourselves from the drugs and crime outside the front door. Unfortunately, that did not work. Inside the house, I had family addicted to crack cocaine. In my young mind, I thought if we just got the drugs off the street, then the crime would stop too. So, after graduating from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and completing undergraduate and law degrees, I became a prosecutor.​

For years, I worked to get drugs, guns and murderers off our streets. But working in court every day, it seemed that the crime was largely a symptom of an underlying epidemic: poverty. Most of the defendants that came into my courtroom were poor, black, drug addicted and/or mentally ill, just like folks in my family. These conditions inspired me to attack this public health issue from another direction. So, I quit my job as a prosecutor to join Cook County’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management....

According to his campaign biography, Betts also serves on the Auxiliary Board of Christ the King Jesuit Preparatory School and as a Director of the Civic Leadership Board of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago. The campaign biography also notes that Betts has served as "associate board president" of Just the Beginning - A Pipeline Organization.

Two fundraisers next week for Judge Cecilia Horan

Supporters of Judge Cecilia Anne Horan's countywide judicial bid have scheduled two fundraisers for their candidate next week, on Tuesday, July 18 and Thursday, July 20.

The July 18 event will be held at 3000 N. Sheridan Rd. Nick Furtwengler, Matthew Jannusch, Adam Kolrzan, James Nawrocki, and Moses Suarez are the listed hosts for this fundraising reception. Tickets are $50 apiece, but sponsorships are available ($100 - Supporter, $200 - Patron, $500 - Sponsor, $1,000 - Host, $1,500 - Chair). Because this event will be staged at a private residence, persons interested in attending need to call (773) 562-9559 or email eric@blueprintcampaignconsulting.com for more specific information about the event.

The Chicago office of the law firm of Quarles & Brady will be the site of Judge Horan's July 20 fundraiser. Jack Bentley and Anneke Diem are the listed hosts for this event. Tickets for this event are also $50 each and sponsorships are available at the same levels as the July 18 fundraiser ($100 - Supporter, $200 - Patron, $500 - Sponsor, $1,000 - Host, $1,500 - Chair). For more information about this event, or to reserve tickets, interested persons should also call (773) 562-9559 or email eric@blueprintcampaignconsulting.com.