Daniel Naranjo appointed to fill 13th Subcircuit vacancy

In an Order entered earlier this week, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed long-time Assistant Public Defender Daniel Naranjo to the 13th Subcircuit vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Shannon P. O'Malley.

The appointment is effective June 5 and terminates on December 7, 2026.

Licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1998, according to ARDC, Naranjo has served in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender since 2000, according to a press release issued by the Illinois Suprem Court in conjunction with the appointment.

Naranjo currently serves as a member of the Multiple Defendant Division where he represented individuals charged in multiple offender felony cases. He previously worked in the Felony Trial Division from 2008 to 2020, handling a large volume of felony matters ranging from retail theft to first degree murder cases. Before that, from 2000 to 2008, Naranjo oversaw domestic violence, traffic, and misdemeanor cases.

Naranjo has not previously run for judge in Cook County, but, according to the Supreme Court, he has served on Judicial Evaluation Committees for both the Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois and the Puerto Rican Bar Association. He is a member of the Barrington Rotary Club and coaches the first ever Barrington High School Mock Trial team.

Naranjo's appointment was made pursuant to an application process announced by Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham in December 2024.

Echoes of Ukraine exhibit extended through May 25 at Ukranian National Museum

The poster on the Ukranian National Museum website (above) references a closing date of May 18, but, according to UNM board member Steve Demitro, the exhibit has been extended through Sunday, May 25.

The Ukranian National Museum is located at 2249 W. Superior in Chicago. It is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a $10 charge for admission to the museum (Seniors and students are admitted for $5 each, children under 12 and museum members are admitted free).

The exhibit celebrates Ukrainians and their lasting contributions to the City of Chicago. Featured are well-known figures like Mike Royko, the legendary columnist who wrote over 7,500 daily columns for the old Chicago Daily News and, later, the Tribune, and who authored the best-selling book Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago (1971). Also in the spotlight are Chicago sports icon “Iron Mike” Ditka and the highly respected Cliff Koroll of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The exhibit delves into the rich history of Chicago’s Ukrainian neighborhoods and showcases stunning photography by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Charles Cherney, along with rare and unique artifacts.

Questions about the exhibit can be directed to Steve Demitro at SteveDemitro@gmail.com.

Circuit Court of Cook County announces associate judge vacancy; applications due June 11

Here is the announcement, issued earlier this week, from the Office of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans:

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today posted a vacancy notice for the office of associate judge of the Cook County Circuit Court.

While circuit judges are elected by the public, associate judges are appointed by the circuit judges in a selection process conducted by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Licensed attorneys submit applications for consideration and undergo evaluations by bar associations. A nominating committee, which includes the chief judge and the presiding judges of various court divisions and districts, then interviews the applicants and selects finalists.

Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 39, the nominating committee must select twice as many qualified candidates as there are vacancies to be filled; in this case, the nominating committee will select two candidates from which the circuit judges will fill the vacancy. Circuit judges then vote on the candidates.

The associate judge position is due to the retirement of Associate Judge Jeffrey L. Warnick, effective May 17.

Applications are now being accepted for this vacancy, as well as additional vacancies which may occur during the nomination process.

The form and instructions for submitting an application electronically are available on the Supreme Court’s website here. If unable to electronically submit an application, an applicant must submit two (2) signed originals of the prescribed application to Marcia M. Meis, Director, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, 222 North LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601.

Note that the application for appointment to the office of associate judge was revised on September 17, 2019, and only applications on the revised form will be accepted.

Whether electronically filed, mailed, or hand-delivered, all applications must be received in the Administrative Office within 30 days after the date of the notice. If filed electronically, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. If mailed or hand-delivered, the deadline is 5 p.m. on that day. Applications submitted via facsimile will not be accepted.

Applicants should be aware that their names will be released to the media to allow public comment on their candidacy and that a bar evaluation may also be requested.

This announcement confirms that 10 prior associate judges have been 'converted' into vacancies to be filled in the 2026 election in new Cook County Subcircuits 16-20.

While only one vacancy exists at this moment, this will change. Note this statement in the above press release: "Applications are now being accepted for this vacancy, as well as additional vacancies which may occur during the nomination process."

John P. Carroll Jr. appointed to 3rd Subcircuit vacancy

In an Order entered yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed John P. Carroll Jr. to a 3rd Subcircuit vacancy. The appointment is effective May 23 and terminates December 7, 2026.

In a press release issued in connection with the appointment, the Supreme Court noted that Carroll has spent the past "six years as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General with a focus on projects involving policy, legislation, litigation, outreach, and advocacy." Before that, Carroll served for "19 years as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted cases in the Felony Trial, Sex Crimes, Narcotics and Special Prosecutions divisions and for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force."

Licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1999, Carroll was a short list finalist for Cook County Associate Judge in 2023.

Carroll's appointment was made pursuant to an application process announced by Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham in November 2024. The vacancy to which Carroll has been appointed was created by the retirement of Judge Thomas W. Murphy.

Lester Finkle appointed to 8th Subcircuit vacancy

Lester Finkle, a long-time Cook County Assistant Public Defender, who served as Chief of Staff in that office from 2015 to 2021, has been appointed to a vacancy in Cook County's 8th Judicial Subcircuit, pursuant to an Order entered today by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Finkle is currently Of Counsel to the firm of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. His appointment is effective May 30; it will terminate on December 7, 2026.

The vacancy to which Finkle has been appointed was created by the election of Judge Mary L. Mikva to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2024.

Finkle was a short list finalist for Cook County associate judge in 2012 and again in 2023. Licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1982, according to ARDC, Finkle also served as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School from 2007 to 2015 and, according to a press release issued by the Illinois Supreme Court concerning the appointment, has, since 1997, taught appellate writing and oral advocacy as an adjunct professor at what is now the University of Illinois at Chicago Law School.

Lyons Township Dems announce judicial slating process, slating committee service options

As slating season approaches, I hope this may be the first of several such announcements that I can share. Committeepersons or their designees can reach FWIW by email at jackleyhane@yahoo.com.

Without further preface, herewith the announcement from the Lyons Township Democrats:

The Democratic Party’s endorsement process is heating up, and Lyons Township is set to take center stage. Under the leadership of Democratic Committeeman Steve Landek, the township will convene two key slating committees—one focused on judicial candidates and another on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD). These committees will evaluate candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s backing, ensuring that only the most qualified and electable individuals make it onto the ballot.

In Cook County, Democratic committeemen wield significant influence in shaping elections. Each township and ward has a committeeman responsible for representing local Democrats, helping to determine which candidates receive the party’s coveted endorsement. While these endorsements aren’t mandatory, they carry substantial weight—boosting candidates’ fundraising, media coverage, and overall campaign viability.

Landek’s slating committees will conduct in-depth interviews with candidates, scrutinizing their experience, qualifications, and electability. Once the evaluations are complete, the committees will make recommendations to Landek, who will use their input to guide his decisions during the official countywide slating process this summer. This structured approach ensures that Lyons Township has a strong voice in shaping the Democratic ticket for the upcoming elections.

For those interested in politics, serving on a slating committee is a rare behind-the-scenes opportunity to engage with top Democratic decision-makers. Committee members will meet directly with candidates, assess their strengths, and help determine who gets the party’s endorsement.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for politically engaged individuals to not only learn how the endorsement process works but to have a real impact on it,” said Landek. “We want to ensure that the best, most qualified candidates are put forward, and that starts at the local level.”

For aspiring judges and future political candidates, participating in the slating process can be a game-changer. It provides first hand insight into what party leaders look for in a candidate and offers valuable networking opportunities with influential figures in Cook County politics.

Lyons Township Democrats are actively seeking community members who want to play a role in shaping the party’s future. Those interested in joining a slating committee or learning more about the process are encouraged to reach out.

Apply to serve on slating committees here by clicking on this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rMxYzG9Rqks9kJQxPrEPxmuN_uji9f12bhCze8amc_g/edit

If you are a candidate seeking slating, click on this link to register:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12AyTmRlPP6eIOiFNKl1jZH3Tdocj6W7Rcj-etVrtYBI/edit

For more information, contact Elyse Hoffenberg at eyhoffenberg@gmail.com

Proposed glove auction a slap in the face to all Illinoisans

The only time I ever saw these gloves was in September 2009.

I was in Springfield, one of many volunteer chaperones for a group of middle schoolers on a field trip from the parish school where my wife teaches.

I was happy enough to go, of course. One need not be a Lincoln scholar to be a member of the bar of the State of Illinois, but a certain interest in Mr. Lincoln kind of comes with the ARDC card. Or it should.

Anyway, the school asked me to go. They'd found that school parents tended to pay too much attention to their own kids on these trips, or exert insufficient control over their other charges when chaperoning, lest their child sustain some social embarrassment. By 2009, my own kids were long out of that school; I was a stranger to these kids.

Sounds great, I said.

And, they said, the kids may even listen to you a little, because you're a little more... mature.

No problem, I said.

And, they added, you're a lawyer. You can explain things to the kids at the Capitol and at the Lincoln Museum....

Sure thing, I said. Happy to help.

And, of course, you probably knew Lincoln personally. Rode with him on the Circuit....

That's when I got mad.

But I went anyway.

And those of you who have been blessed with children will be unsurprised to learn that none of my young charges were anywhere near as interested in Lincoln and the Lincoln sites as I was. And am. City kids: Looking out the bus windows in the early morning, shouting, "look at the horses!" as they saw animals grazing near the Interstate in the fog just after sunrise. They were looking at cows.

We stopped at New Salem and the kids were more interested in chasing chickens than in listening to the reenactors at the Rutledge Tavern, even when I engaged the reenactors in a discussion of young Mr. Lincoln's infatuation with the ill-starred Ann Rutledge.

It wasn't much better at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. There were no chickens for the kids to chase, but I found it hard to keep my kids together (my one absolute task) as we drifted far too quickly from exhibit to exhibit.

Then I reached the "Treasures" room.

Where I saw these gloves.

Just behind a pane of glass.

Politicians often wore gloves in the 1860s when shaking hands. Lincoln rode his own horse to and from Washington when he stayed out at the Soldiers' Home during the last three summers of his presidency (he survived at least one assassination attempt while making this commute); I imagine he may have used gloves then, too.

These particular gloves were in his pocket on Friday, April 14, 1865.

Yes, those are blood stains.

I stood there gobsmacked. Transfixed. Transformed.

I have been back to the ALPM on similar field trips every three years since 2009, in 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021 (a very early coming-out-of-Covid outing), and 2024. The gloves have not been on display on any of those occasions. I've asked about them every time.

And it looks like they will never be on display again.

They're about to be sold.

Auctioned.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation was, at one time, the fundraising arm of the ALPM. They had a falling out in 2021. The museum has its own collection of Lincoln memorabilia, obviously, but so does the LPF.

And now the LPF has engaged Chicago's Freeman's | Hindman auction house to conduct a sale of some of its Lincoln treasures. (Click here to download the 192-page auction catalog.) Among the items to be sold are these gloves (Lot 114). The auctioneers expect the gloves to fetch somewhere between $800,000 and $1.2 million.

The sale is scheduled for May 21.

The LPF is doing nothing illegal by selling stuff that it owns. I understand that, of course. But these gloves are different from the paper scraps and autographs and other bric-a-brac that are listed in the catalog. This is, of course, why they are expected to fetch so high a price. But the value of these gloves goes beyond mere dollars. These are relics. Powerful. Meaningful. Inspirational. While I acknowledge the LPF's legal right to dispose of its property as it sees fit, I am dismayed at the prospect of these gloves being sold into private hands and potentially lost forever.

I've reached out to the ALPM for comment about the sale, but have so far received no response.

I write this in hopes that some well-heeled FWIW reader or readers (I know there are some) can find a way to save these gloves for the people of the State of Illinois. They are a true treasure, and I hope that some means can be found by which they may be secured, preferably for the ALPM, but in any event preserved for public display in Illinois. In the Land of Lincoln.