Three file for Scully, Jr. vacancy in 15th Subcircuit

Three candidates filed yesterday for the Scully, Jr. vacancy in the south suburban 15th Subcircuit. Judge Diana L. Embil currently holds this seat pursuant to Supreme Court appointment. She was not of the three candidates who filed yesterday.

Assistant State's Attorney Rivanda Doss Beal did file for this vacancy yesterday. Beal may be be familiar to FWIW regulars. Her campaign website is linked in the blog Sidebar. Beal has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1994, according to ARDC. Her campaign website portrays Beal as a career prosecutor who has tried numerous misdemeanor and felony cases. Beal currently serves as a supervisor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office at Branch 42 on the North Side of Chicago.

Michael B. Barrett, who also filed for this vacancy yesterday, may likewise be familiar to longtime FWIW readers. He finished just 15 votes behind Judge Chris Lawler in a 2014 primary cliffhanger. A partner in the Palos Heights firm of Barrett & Sramek, Barrett does not yet appear to have a campaign website up and running. The accompanying photo is from the 2014 campaign. He has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1991.

A third candidate filing for this vacancy yesterday was Ashonta Rice-Akiwowo. Licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 2005, Rice-Akiwowo practices in Flossmoor with the Akiwowo Law Group, P.C. A campaign website appears to be under construction, but there is a campaign Facebook page.

Because each of these candidates was counted as being 'in line' when the doors opened yesterday at the Illinois State Board of Elections, all three are eligible for the ballot lottery to determine who will have the first ballot position.