Who Sits Where: Slating is next week edition

Just in time for next week's Cook County Democratic Party slating meeting, the Illinois State Board of Elections has released its initial list of judicial vacancies.

The release of the ISBE list is usually quite exciting for yours truly, because I typically discover several vacancies I had not previously found.

Not this year. Not yet.

Readers who pull up the ISBE list themselves (go ahead, I don't mind) will note that the ISBE has not included any subcircuit vacancies on its list. None at all. Statewide. FWIW has learned that the ISBE is running all of the subcircuit vacancies by the Supreme Court seeking official confirmation or declaration of the vacancies to ensure these are formally attributed to the proper subcircuits.

Now... while I understand that this caution may be entirely appropriate in regards to the newly created subcircuits, such as Nos. 16-20 in Cook County (and all sorts of new subcircuits outside of Cook County), I am confused by the failure to post subcircuit vacancies in existing subcircuits, at least in Cook County. Whatever questions there may be about the revised redistricting regime, I thought it was at least clear that vacancies arising in the old Cook County Subcircuits 1-15 would be assigned to the newly redrawn Subcircuits 1-15.

The ISBE has told persons inquiring that the Supreme Court may not respond to the ISBE's confirmation requests before mid-September but -- inasmuch as petitions can begin circulating September 5 -- this strikes me as problematic. I have asked the Supreme Court for clarification on this and I will promptly report any updates.

Meanwhile, here's the updated list. The list that follows has just as many countywide vacancies as the last one I posted, and one new Appellate Court vacancy. The Cook County Democratic Party's slatemakers will be slating countywide vacancies only, including those on the Supreme and Appellate Courts. Slating in the subcircuits is conducted by those committeepersons who have precincts in those subcircuits. Some will slate publicly; others may not.

The list below shows which vacancies have been filled by Supreme Court appointment. Some of these countywide appointees will be slated by the Cook County Democratic Party next week. Some will not.

But remember this: There is SLATING and there is slating and the difference is not always apparent. Except in hindsight.

Some of the judges whose vacancies are listed below may still be coming into work -- but, according to information received, they have advised of their intent to leave, thus creating the vacancy.

Any and all errors of omission or commission in the following list are mine alone and I am grateful for additions and corrections provided. As mentioned, this list will be updated as events warrant.

Supreme Court Vacancy

Vacancy of the Hon. Anne M. Burke -- Joy V. Cunningham

Appellate Court Vacancies

Vacancy of the Hon. Maureen E. Connors -- Mary L. Mikva
Vacancy of the Hon. Joy V. Cunningham -- Cynthia Y. Cobbs
Vacancy of the Hon. Mathias W. Delort -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Eileen O'Neill Burke -- Carl A. Walker

Countywide Circuit Court Vacancies

Vacancy of the Hon. Vincent Gaughan -- Corrine Cantwell Heggie
Vacancy of the Hon. Catherine Haberkorn -- Sarah Rodak Johnson
Vacancy of the Hon. Arnette Hubbard -- Deidre M. Dyer
Vacancy of the Hon. Marcia Maras -- Arlene Y. Coleman-Romeo
Vacancy of the Hon. Raymond W. Mitchell -- Neil H. Cohen
Vacancy of the Hon. Timothy P. Murphy -- Edward J. Underhill
Vacancy of the Hon. Lorna Propes -- Debjani D. Desai
Vacancy of the Hon. William Raines -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Laura M. Sullivan -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Debra B. Walker -- Chloé G. Pedersen

Subcircuit Vacancies

3rd Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Edward S. Harmening -- Unfilled

4th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Peter A. Felice -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Edward J. King -- Phillip J. Fowler
Vacancy of the Hon. Edward M. Maloney -- Unfilled

5th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Casandra Lewis -- Unfilled

7th Subcircuit
"A" Vacancy* -- Owens J. Shelby

8th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Ann Collins-Dole -- Unfilled

10th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Clare E. McWilliams -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Gregory J. Wojkowski -- James S. Murphy-Aguilu

11th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Ann Finley Collins -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Paula M. Daleo -- Unfilled

12th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Grace G. Dickler -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Marguerite Quinn -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Andrea M. Schleifer -- Unfilled

13th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Samuel J. Betar III -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Ketki Shroff Steffen -- Unfilled

14th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. James N. O'Hara -- Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Daniel J. Pierce -- Unfilled

15th Subcircuit
"A" Vacancy** -- Unfilled

Vacancies in the new 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Subcircuits will come into existence as associate judges leave office. No more than 10 such vacancies will be created in any one election cycle -- a maximum of two, that is, in each of the new five subcircuits.

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*  This is the vacancy assigned to the 7th Subcircuit upon the resignation of Judge Irwin J. Solganick. Or upon the resignation of Judge Michael Toomin. See, note post.
**  This is the vacancy assigned to the 15th Subcircuit upon the resignation of Judge Michael P. Toomin. Or upon the resignation of Judge Irwin J. Solganick. It works either way. And, if I ever figure out which is correct, I'll update accordingly.