47th Ward Organization urges "no" vote on five judges

The 47th Ward Democratic Organization confirms, on its website, that it is urging a "no" vote for Mauricio Araujo and Michael P. Toomin, the two Circuit Court judges seeking retention that were dumped last month by the Cook County Democratic Party. (With early voting already underway, it's too late to remove him from the ballot, but Araujo has now resigned, so his 6th Subcircuit seat will be vacant regardless of whether voters give him a 60% "yes" vote or not.)

The 47th Ward Democratic Organization has also urged a "no" vote on these Circuit Court judges seeking retention:

• Kenneth J. Wadas,
• Anna Helen Demacopoulos, and
• Jackie Marie Portman-Brown.

Portman-Brown is currently assigned to administrative duties (sometimes referred to as "judges' jail") after a widely-publicized incident involving family members earlier this year. While she has been rated qualified for retention by the Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers, she has drawn negative evaluations from seven other Alliance bar groups. (In addition to the CCL, Portman-Brown has received a positive rating from only other Alliance bar groups, with one ratng still pending.)

Kenneth J. Wadas is a Suprevising Judge in the Criminal Division. First elected in 1996, he has been found qualified for retention by the Chicago Bar Association and all 11 of the Alliance bar groups, including the Chicago Council of Lawyers, that have so announced their ratings of Wadas (one group has yet to weigh in).

Anna Helen Demacopoulos sits in the Chancery Division. First elected in 2008, Demacopoulos has also been found qualified by the Chicago Bar Association and all 11 of the Alliance bar groups, including the CCL, that have so announced their ratings of Demacopoulos (one group has yet to weigh in on her as well).

For what it's worth, Judge Toomin has also been found qualified by the Chicago Bar Association and all nine of the Alliance bar groups, including the Chicago Council of Lawyers, that have so far released recommendations on his retention bid.

Interestingly, the 47th Ward website specifically asks voters to give a "yes" vote to Patricia Manila Martin, the judge who told the CBA and the Alliance bar groups that she was retiring from the bench, but did not withdraw from the ballot in time.