In this post we look at the CCL's ratings of judicial candidates running in the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th Subcircuits.
12th Subcircuit
Hanlon Vacancy
Democratic Candidates
Hon. Patricia M. Fallon -- Qualified
Hon. Patricia Maria Fallon was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2001. Prior to her appointment to the Circuit Court, in 2019, she served as Chief of Human Resources for the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. From 2004 to 2017, she worked for the Labor and Employment Unit of the Cook County State’s Attorney Office, where she served as an Assistant State’s Attorney and also as a Supervisor (2015-17) and Deputy Supervisor (2013-2015).
Ms. Fallon is considered to have good legal ability with litigation experience in both state and federal court. She is described as hard-working with good temperament, and is praised for her supervisory skills. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Howard J. Wise -- Qualified
Howard Jay Wise was admitted to practice in 1997. He has been a sole practitioner since 2001 focusing on Criminal Law, Traffic, and Personal Injury matters. He served as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney between 1998 and 2001.
Mr. Wise is considered to be a solid practitioner with good legal ability and temperament. He has substantial litigation experience. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Carmine Trombetta -- Qualified
Carmine Vincent Trombetta was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1983. Since 1984, he has worked as a Solo Practitioner at the Law Firm of Carmine V. Trombetta in Schaumberg. He represents clients in criminal cases, civil litigation, real estate, wills and trusts, and bankruptcy matters.
Mr. Trombetta is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. He has substantial litigation experience in a variety of both criminal and civil matters. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Republican Candidate
Frank R. DiFranco -- Qualified
Frank Rocco DiFranco was admitted to practice in 1987. He has been in private practice as a sole practitioner or as a lawyer within a small firm since 1995 handling criminal defense and personal injury cases. From 1987 to 1995 he served as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney.
Mr. DiFranco is reported to have good legal ability. He enjoys a reputation of being a zealous and knowledgeable advocate. Most respondents say he has a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
13th Subcircuit
Kulys Hoffman Vacancy
Democratic Candidates
Joe Gump -- Qualified
Joseph Michael Gump was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1987. He has spent his legal career at the Office of the Cook County Public Defender, where he is currently a Felony Trial Assistant.
Mr. Gump is considered to have good legal ability and is praised for being a zealous advocate. He has substantial litigation experience in complex matters, and is praised for his knowledge of the law as well as for his research skills. He is praises for his judicial temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Matt Flamm -- Well Qualified
Matt Flamm was admitted to practice in 1978. He is a partner in a small law firm focusing on both litigation and transactional work. He is exceptionally active in bar association and community activities. Mr. Flamm is considered to have excellent legal ability. He is a “go to” person in his practice fields, and is reported to be very knowledgeable with a very good temperament. He has substantial experience in a variety of litigation matters. The Council finds him Well Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Michael Harry Minton -- Qualified
Michael H. Minton was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1971. Since 1985, he has been a Partner and Sole Shareholder in The Minton Firm, P.C., where he handles domestic relations, family related matters including adoptions, paternity, wills, estates, and real estate closings. Previously he was an Associate and Partner at Facchini & Minton (1975-1985), where he handled personal injury matters and domestic and family law, and an Associate at Biestek & Facchini (1971-1975).
Mr. Minton has extensive experience as a practitioner in the domestic relations area. He has earned a good reputation for his legal knowledge and ability. He is reported to have a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Susanne Michele Groebner -- Qualified
Susanne Groebner was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2000. Since 2001, she has worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney Office, where she currently works in the Felony Trial Division in Rolling Meadows, IL (2013-present). She previously served in the Felony Trial Division in Chicago (2008-2013); in the Felony Review, Preliminary Hearings, and Grand Jury Units (2004-2008); in the Juvenile Division (Abuse and Neglect/Delinquency, 2001-2004); and in the Child Support Division (2001).
Ms. Groebner is considered to have good legal ability. Respondents to this evaluation say that she has good litigation skills and that she is an honest and fair prosecutor. She has substantial litigation experience in more complex matters. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Hon. Michael P. Gerber -- Qualified
Hon. Michael P. Gerber was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1980. He was appointed to the bench as a Circuit Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2016. He presides over criminal misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, and traffic matters. Previously, he worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County, where he prosecuted criminal matters (1984-2016); as an Assistant Public Defender in Cook County (1981-1984), where he handled motions and trials and, during his last 18 months there, felony preliminary hearings; and as an associate for Martin S. Gerber (1980-1981), where he handled civil municipal and misdemeanor cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
As a lawyer, Judge Gerber was considered to be an outstanding practitioner with very good legal ability and temperament. He was respected for his litigation skills and he had substantial litigation experience in more complex matters. He is reported to be exceptionally knowledgeable. As a judge he is reported to be handling a high volume call with efficiency and fairness. On the basis of this 2017 evaluation the Council would have found Judge Gerber to be Well Qualified.
However, subsequent to the evaluation the Council conducted in 2017, the Council notes that a post conviction judge vacated a murder case conviction that then Mr. Gerber had prosecuted many years earlier. In vacating the conviction, the judge stated in regard to Mr. Gerber, as the prosecutor, that he had made “factually false arguments to the jury” about a key piece of evidence. The judge further stated,
"This Court cannot say the prosecutor's improper remarks did not contribute to petitioner's conviction; a jury could have reached a contrary verdict had the improper remarks not been made. * * * Indeed, such statements amounted to a purposeful due process violation that led to petitioner's conviction. As such, petitioner was prejudiced by appellate counsel's failure to raise this claim."The defendant was exonerated. The Council considers these findings to be exceptionally serious. However, the Council also must consider the totality of Judge Gerber’s well-respected career. In a close call, the Council finds Judge Gerber to be Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Republican Candidates
Angel Garcia -- Not Recommended
Did not participate in the evaluation.
Gary William Seyring -- Qualified
Gary W. Seyring was admitted to practice in 1978. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. He is a solo practitioner focusing on domestic relations, real estate, estate planning, tax planning, and business law. A substantial percentage of Mr. Seyring’s practice involves litigation. He is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
14th Subcircuit
Bertucci Vacancy
Hon. Gerardo Tristan Jr. -- Qualified
Hon. Gerardo Tristan Jr. was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2002 and was appointed to the Circuit Court by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2019. Before becoming a judge, he worked at Tristan & Cervantes as an associate, assisting the partners in their day-to-day legal obligations, focusing on labor, estate and business law. Then in 2003, Mr. Tristan began serving as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney.
Judge Tristan is considered to have good legal ability and had substantial litigation experience in more complex matters before becoming a judge. He is reported to have a good temperament and respondents praised his fairness. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Steve Demitro – Not Recommended
Did not participate in the evaluation.
Lacy Vacancy
Hon. Daniel O. Tiernan -- Qualified
Daniel O. Tiernan was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1995. After being appointed to the Lacy vacancy by the Illinois Supreme Court in early 2019, Tiernan was elected by the Circuit Judges in December 2019 as an Associate Judge. Before becoming a judge, he was an Investigator at the Office of the Cook County Independent Inspector General, where he oversees investigations into fraud, waste, mismanagement, and criminal activity by employees of Cook County and vendors doing business with Cook County. Previously, he was a partner/owner at Delgado & Tiernan, P.C., where his practice focused on criminal defense, probate, real estate, and immigration (2007-2015). From 1995 to 2007 he worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney Office, where for three years he served as first chair in a felony courtroom.
Judge Tiernan is considered to have good legal ability and is respected as a very capable lawyer. He has had substantial litigation experience in more complex matters during the course of his career. He is reported to have a professional temperament, and is praised for being knowledgeable and for being willing to mentor other lawyers. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Perla Tirado -- Qualified
Perla Tirado was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2005. Since 2016, she has served as the Supervising Attorney of Beyond Legal Aid, a nonprofit legal services provider, where she handles criminal defense, criminal records, traffic, immigration, removal defense, and family law matters. Previously she handled criminal defense, traffic, immigration, and domestic relations matters as a Solo Practitioner at the Law Office of Perla Tirado (2008-2016), as a Partner at TYT Law (2010), and as a Partner at Tirado Winters, LLP (2007-2008). She has also worked as a Contract Attorney for Genson & Gillespie, where she worked on a criminal case involving financial crimes and SEC violations (2007), as an Assistant Public Defender in the Cook County Public Defender Office (2005-2007), and as Staff Attorney at the Cabrini Legal Aid Clinic (2005).
Ms. Tirado is considered to have good legal ability and is praised for her knowledge of the law. She is reported to have good temperament and has substantial litigation experience in a variety of areas. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
15th Subcircuit
Griffin Vacancy
Heather Mulligan Begley -- Qualified
Heather A. Begley was admitted to practice in 2003. She is an Associate at Cunningham, Meyer and Vedrine, P.C., where she focuses on malpractice defense. Before that, she was a Solo Practitioner at Begley Law Offices, P.C. (2013-2014), where she handled personal injury matters. She handled personal injury and wrongful death matters as an Associate with first chair and second chair experience at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll (2007-2013), and also as an Associate (2003-2006) at Clifford Law Offices, P.C.
Ms. Begley is considered to have good legal ability and is praised for her litigation skills. She is reported to have a good temperament and respondents often noted her high integrity when dealing with opposing counsel. She has substantial litigation experience. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Hon. Nicole C. Patton -- Qualified
Nicole Catina Patton was admitted to practice in 1997. Before her appointment to the bench, in 2018, she served as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney, focusing on court proceedings involving mental health commitments. From 1997 to 2001 she served as an Assistant Cook County State’s attorney doing both civil and criminal matters. From 2001 to 2002, she was an attorney with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, and from 2003 to 2010, she was with small firms or worked as a sole practitioner. Before becoming a judge, Patton was considered to be knowledgeable about the law and was described as a “go to” person in the State’s Attorney’s Office. She is considered to have good legal ability and is praised as a good lawyer – a zealous advocate who is trustworthy and respectful both to clients and opposing counsel. She is active in community matters, and is the author of a recent article on expert witnesses. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
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