Another campaign website goes online: 4th Subcircuit candidate Patrick Campanelli

A campaign website is now up and running for 4th Subcircuit candidate Patrick Campanelli (Rogers vacancy). That's a link to the campaign website in the preceding sentence; a link has also been added to this site's Sidebar.

Licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1986, according to ARDC, Campanelli currently practices from an office in Palos Hills.

Campanelli's website notes that he set up his private practice in 1997, after starting his career as a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney. He has taught law-related courses at Joliet Junior College, according to his campaign website. He is married to Amy Campanelli, the former Public Defender for Cook County.

Patrick Campanelli made the news some years back reprsenting a Cubs fan falsely accused of disorderly conduct who was, according to Abdon M. Pallasch's June 17, 2003 story in the Chicago Sun-Times, "caught on video with Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter's hands around his neck when Kreuter and other Dodgers stormed the stands at Wrigley three years ago looking for another fan who stole Kreuter's hat."

The person who actually stole the bat -- a Tribune employee, according to Pallasch's story -- was never charged. The criminal charges against Campanelli's client were dropped, setting the stage for the civil suit. In addition to the $475,000 verdict against the Cubs, according to the Sun-Times write-up, Campanelli obtained a $300,000 settlement from the Dodgers.

Pallasch's story noted that, in addition to the civil lawsuits, "The Dodgers' actions prompted Major League Baseball to enact the largest mass suspension in baseball history: 19 Dodgers for a total of 89 games and $77,000 in fines. Ultimately, the suspensions of 11 players and one coach were overturned."

This is Campanelli's first bid for elected judicial office.