In an order entered yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court returned Michael Perry Gerber to the Cook County Circuit Court bench, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Margarita Kulys Hoffman.The appointment is effective Tuesday, June 4, and will terminate on December 7, 2020.
Gerber was previously appointed to the bench in late 2016, also to a 13th Subcircuit vacancy. He sought election to that post as a Republican, winning "Highly Qualified" ratings from both the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association, and capturing the Tribune endorsement, but was defeated in the primary.
A 1980 graduate of DePaul Law School, Gerber was one of the longest serving Cook County Assistant State's Attorneys when he was first tapped for judicial service. He has also served as an instructor in business law in the College of Business and Management at the Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) since 1980.
Gerber's new appointment comes on the recommendation of Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke. Justice Burke had announced an application process for the Hoffman vacancy in February.
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4 comments:
His biggest problem won’t be Injustice Watch. It will be running as a Republican in 2018. Democrat’s in 13 will sweep, including the judicial races, in 2020. Heck, one of the black countywide men who have lost in the past 10 years have a better chance of winning against an Irish woman than this guy has in 13. But good luck!
Hi Jack!
Things are about to get ugly. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has an ongoing grand jury investigation of a sitting Circuit Judge elected in 2016 for bankruptcy fraud. This person is apparently mulling a bid for appellate court. He or she should tread softly; Jessica Arong O’Brien got off lucky compared to what this judge could be facing if he or she draws the wrong sentencing judge.
Dick Schwind has not been retained. This is a new day for you judges. Yours are not lifetime appointments and JAPAC is coming for the rest of you. 2020 here we come!
Gerber will be an obvious target of JAPAC and Injustice Watch. But wait! The 2020 retention class is going to have serious issues. Several members are former ASA’s who have been, or are currently are being, sued for very serious reverse conviction cases. I am NOT saying that they did anything unethical or illegal. I am saying that people with agendas will target them. And as the Coghlan situation has shown, if one judge threatens someone else’s livelihood the rest of the rats abandon ship. That’s why it will be so easy for the active bar to create so many vacancies that were historically perceived to be de facto lifetime appointments similar to the federal courts.
Good luck 2020, you’re going to need it.
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