The ISBA has recommended a 'yes' vote for 73 of the Cook County jurists seeking retention this year. Five Circuit Court judges, however, were not recommended. In this post we will look at these five and what the ISBA had to say about each of them. In ballot order, then, the ISBA has recommended 'no' votes as to:
Kathy M. Flanagan
Hon. Kathy M. Flanagan was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1979. She was elected to the circuit court in 1988 and has been retained five times since. In November of 2023 she was named Acting Presiding Judge of the Law Division. She has been assigned to the Law Division – Motions Section since 1992 and in 2011 was named a supervising judge in that section. Prior to her election she had been in private practice. She has been a panelist on legal matters and has spoken to law students.
Attorneys complimented her legal knowledge and ability, and described her as impartial, diligent and punctual. A majority, however, raised concerns about her temperament and demeanor, stating they had seen her act unprofessionally, impatiently and temperamentally. The Illinois State Bar Association finds Judge Kathy M. Flanagan not qualified for retention to the Circuit Court of Cook County for the 2024 General Election.
E. Kenneth Wright, Jr.
Hon. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1977. He was both appointed and elected to the circuit court in 1994 and has been retained four times. Prior to his assignment, he had been in private practice. Since 2003 he has served as the Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District in charge of both civil and criminal courtrooms. Prior to this assignment he had served in Probate and First Municipal. He has been a speaker on legal topics to community groups, the Illinois Judges Association and other bar groups; he has also written for the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. He is a past president of the Chicago Bar Association and has continued to be a committee member. He has been a Board of Governors and Assembly member for the Illinois State Bar Association, and a committee chair for the Illinois Judges Association. In addition, he sits on Supreme Court committees and is an editorial board member for the CBA Record and is a past president for the Center for Conflict Resolution.
Attorneys praised his legal knowledge and ability, especially given the demands of his administrative duties. He is a patient demeanor, is diligent and fair. The Committee has concerns regarding his level of candor concerning the recently identified residency and property tax homestead issues. The Illinois State Bar Association finds Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. not qualified for retention to the Circuit Court of Cook County for the 2024 General Election.
Lisa Ann Marino
Hon. Lisa Ann Marino was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1988. She was elected to the circuit court in 2012 and retained in 2018. She is currently assigned to the First Municipal District – Housing Section with a dual assignment in the Foreclosure Section of the Chancery Division. Prior to her election, she had been a private practitioner handling real estate matters, and as an assistant state’s attorney. She is the Vice President of the Illinois Italian American Judges Association and has served on committees for the Justinian Society, and is also a member of other bar associations and judicial groups. She has received a number of awards including the Gerald L. Sbarboro Leadership in Mentoring Awards from the Justinian Society in 2011 and the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian Award from the Joint Civil Committee of Italian Americans in 2017.
Attorneys reported that she treats all parties equally and appears to be sensitive to diversity issues. A majority did raise concerns over her courtroom management skills and with the extent of her legal knowledge and ability. The Illinois State Bar Association finds Judge Lisa Ann Marino not qualified for retention to the Circuit Court of Cook County for the 2024 General Election.
Ieshia Gray
Hon. Ieshia Gray was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2002. She was elected to the circuit court in 2018. Since December 2021 she has been assigned to the Sixth Municipal District (Markham) where she primarily presides over civil protection orders, after prior assignment hearing civil matters in the Fourth Municipal District (Maywood) and in Traffic. In July of 2024, she was also appointed the presiding judge of the Sauk Village Restorative Justice Community Court and is also helping establish a mediation program for cases involving civil protection orders. Prior to her election she had been an assistant public defender. She has been a speaker and panelist for the Illinois Judicial College and for the Illinois State Bar Association and is a member of various bar and judicial organizations.
Most attorneys contacted during the investigation stated that she had good legal knowledge and ability and is sensitive to diversity and the best interests of children. A majority, however, did have concerns over her temperament, diligence and work ethic. The Illinois State Bar Association finds Judge Ieshia Gray not qualified for retention to the Circuit Court of Cook County for the 2024 General Election.
Shannon O'Malley
Hon. Shannon Phillip O’Malley was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1992. He was elected to the circuit court in 2018 and has been assigned to Child Protection since 2019. Prior to his election, he was a private practitioner with a general practice, at first under the name Philip Spiwak, then under the name Shannon O’Malley after a name change in 2012. He has served on a committee for the Illinois Judges Association, is a member of various bar and judicial groups, and reports supporting local community groups.
Attorneys praised his temperament and described him as respectful to all parties. They gave mixed reports on his legal knowledge, with some stating it was adequate but not great, and others describing it as inadequate. The also raised concerns over his courtroom management skills, which, at time, causes cases to be delayed for long periods of time. The Illinois State Bar Association finds Judge Shannon O’Malley not qualified for retention to the Circuit Court of Cook County for the 2024 General Election.
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