William Edward Gomolinski: In his own words

William Edward Gomolinski is a Democratic candidate for the Shultz vacancy in the 4th Judicial Subcircuit.

On July 23, 2007, the Illinois Supreme Court chose me to be Your Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County for the 4th Judicial Sub-Circuit and I am currently assigned to the Municipal Department at the Daley Center. Since becoming a Judge, I have presided over many thousands of cases, including nearly one hundred trials and contested hearings, and have developed a reputation with those who appear before me as a capable and fair jurist. I have worked hard to provide justice to those before me, with compassion and understanding, while at the same time maintaining the rule of law to protect society from those who would endanger us.

Prior to being appointed as a Judge, I spent 21 years in the private practice of law serving our local district. People come to see lawyers because they need help or guidance during their life, whether it is for a simple real estate closing or a complicated business transaction. I have always been there for people to count on. I have touched thousands of lives, providing legal services and friendship to those in need. Dealing with real people over the past 21 years made me particularly well qualified for my judicial appointment and to be elected to continue to be a Judge.

I have been married for 19 years to my wife Joyce, with whom I have raised our three children (ages 16, 14 and 12). My life and legal experience, as well as my on-the-job experience as a Judge, make me well suited to be elected to continue serving as Your Judge for the 4th judicial Sub-Circuit.

In fact, the Chicago Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers have all reviewed my credentials and experience and found me to be “QUALIFIED” to serve as a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Similarly, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, the Cook County Bar Association, the Asian American Bar Association, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association and the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago have found me to be “RECOMMENDED” to be a Judge of the Circuit Court and the Puerto Rican Bar Association has found me to be “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” to be a Judge of the Circuit Court.

I am the only candidate with Judicial Experience. To find out more why the Illinois Supreme Court CHOSE me to be YOUR Judge of the Circuit Court for the 4th Judicial Sub-Circuit, go to www.judgegomolinski.com.

Thomas Flannigan: In his own words

Thomas Flannigan is a Democratic candidate for the Devlin vacancy in the 12th Judicial Subcircuit.

There are three reasons voters should vote for me: Experience, integrity, and diligence.

I have worked in a law firm or a government agency ever since I graduated college in 1974. Starting out as a law clerk, I learned the court system from the bottom up. I have appeared in courts great and small, from Traffic Court to the U.S. Court of Appeals. In all, I have appeared in court more than two thousand times. I have tried a variety of cases to verdict, including child custody, employment discrimination, insurance fraud, arson, and landlord-tenant and shareholder disputes. My professional experience ranges from working at a large LaSalle Street firm to one of the largest law firms in Japan, to running my own law office today. I have clerked for a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and have taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at DePaul University .

My record of ethical integrity is unblemished. I have never been sued or been the subject of an investigation concerning my professional conduct. I am the only candidate on the ballot who refuses to take campaign contributions. My grassroots campaign is completely self-financed. I am beholden only to justice.

Finally, I have worked hard my entire life and will continue to do so if elected. I have worked many jobs, from dishwasher to the United Parcel Service, while earning degrees from Boston College, the University of Chicago, and DePaul University’s College of Law.

For more details about my experience, please visit my website, www.tomforjudge.com.

Chicken or egg: Coverage of judicial campaigns in the Chicago daily papers and lack of voter knowledge about judicial races

I pay a lot of money to Thomson West each month for Westlaw. Westlaw is the modern equivalent of a law library; case law and other information from around the world can be downloaded to the subscribing lawyer's computer.

My Westlaw plan includes a subscription to a database called Illinois Newspapers; as the name suggests, it covers the major newspapers from across the State including, of course, the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times. It also includes the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

I relied heavily on searches of the Illinois Newspapers database in putting together the stories I did here in October and November about persons filing for Cook County judicial office.

I went into Westlaw this morning to confirm my suspicion that there has been no meaningful coverage of the upcoming judicial primary in either the Tribune or the Sun-Times.

I searched the Westlaw Illinois Newspapers database using this search query: "judge [or] judicial /2 candidate & cook /2 county & DA(AFT 9/30/2007)."

Westlaw users will recognize the syntax: I asked the database to retrieve every article published after September 30, 2007 in which the words "judge" or "judicial" were used, as long as those words were two words or less away from the word "candidate," and in which the words "cook" and "county" were used within two words of each other.

This search yielded seven results, but John Flynn Rooney's November 15 story for the Law Bulletin was returned twice. (I cited that story several times in posts on this blog.) A November 16 Law Bulletin story by Jerry Crimmins quoted Seventh Circuit Judge William J. Bauer's speech to the Fort Dearborn-Chicago Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution praising the efforts of bar associations that screen judicial candidates in Cook County. A third Law Bulletin story, by Brian Mackey, used these words in a story about the settlement of Justice Thomas' libel suit. A fourth entry from the Law Bulletin was a letter to the editor about judges residing in the subcircuits that elect them.

The Tribune did appear in these search results -- but only in two versions of an October 6 editorial praising Jerald Solovy on the occasion of his becoming Chairman Emeritus of Jenner & Block LLP.

Of course, search results are dependent on the words used in the search argument. So I tried a different one: "judge [or] judicial /10 February /5 primary & Cook /2 County & DA(AFT 9/30/2007)." This search, however, yielded only Rooney's November 15 Law Bulletin article.

I tried a different approach, looking to pick up any reference to this blog, candidate blogs, or other Internet coverage of our judicial races: "candidate [or] election & blog & DA(AFT 9/30/2007)." This yielded 113 results... mostly about Iowa or New Hampshire. I tried to narrow the search: "candidate [or] election & jud! & blog & DA(AFT 9/30/2007)." "Jud!" is a "wildcard" character, meant to snare either "judge" or "judicial" or any similar word beginning with the letters "jud." In the 18 results that came back, there were multiple mentions of Judy Baar Topinka.

I tried again: "candidate [or] election & judge [or] judicial & blog & DA(AFT 9/30/2007)." Judy Baar Topinka was gone now, and in the 13 remaining results were four versions of a story about a Radio Iowa reporter (the phrase "election judge" was what snared these into the search results), an article by Seventh Circuit Judge (and blogger) Richard Posner for the Sun-Times about the politics of college faculties, and another about a blogger who attends sci-fi conventions dressed as a Klingon. (The costumed blogger is not a judicial candidate, but he did not want to be 'judged' according to his costume alone.)

I do not assert that these searches have proved that neither the Sun-Times nor the Tribune have made any mention of judicial candidates in the upcoming primary. I recall reading -- a few days after I did a post about it -- a small article in the Sun-Times referring to 1st Subcircuit Judge Laguina Clay-Clark's fundraiser featuring appearances by several members of the 1985 Super Bowl Bears squad. (I felt quite smug, for a moment anyway, having arguably scooped a major metropolitan daily newspaper.)

But I can say now with confidence, backed by at least some research, that the Chicago newspapers have essentially ignored the judicial primary races so far.

I will not "call out" the various persons at the Sun-Times and Tribune to whom I've sent information about this blog and about the statements that candidates are providing "in their own words." These papers may even now be preparing articles about Cook County judicial candidates. Articles now would not be too late; it is probably correct to assume that most voters are only now beginning to turn their attention to the upcoming primary.

My point is, however, that many (and I dare say most) Cook County judicial candidates are trying hard to reach the voters. I don't suggest that the news holes of the Chicago dailies should be filled exclusively by stories about the latest sign stealing controversy in the Nth Subcircuit -- but couldn't some of the endless analysis of Hillary's tears be sacrificed in favor of basic information about the careers and qualifications of the men and women who will be elected this year to the Cook County bench? Candidates submit packages of information to the newspapers hoping for endorsements (the newspapers have questionnaires like every other group). There is a lot of information available about most candidates just from searching the Internet and old newspaper files. One news story about each contest shouldn't be too much to ask, should it?

As it stands now, if the papers editorialize this year that citizens did not know about the judicial candidates for whom they were voting, they had better also admit their critical role in fostering that ignorance.

Early voting starts and campaign potpourri

The Alliance of Bar Associations was reluctant to release its judicial candidate ratings before they were complete. Early voting, however starts Monday, January 14. (That's a link to Cook County Clerk David Orr's website page explaining the early voting procedure.) Because some voters might otherwise be casting votes for judges without any input from the Alliance, the Alliance opted to release such information as it has.

There are 50 sites in the City of Chicago where early voters may record their votes; there are also 44 early voting sites for Cook County suburban voters (including the County Clerk's downtown Chicago office). Note that many of the suburban sites and all of the City sites are open on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 21. City residents looking to cast their early votes on Sunday can do so downtown.

This "early voting" procedure is different from absentee voting. Here's a link to the City of Chicago absentee voting information page (from which an absentee ballot application may be downloaded); suburban Cook County voters can navigate from this page to get their absentee ballot applications.

In the meantime, campaigning continues... not just door to door, but here on the Internet. A couple of quick examples: I've already mentioned that Judge Jesse G. Reyes has a campaign-related MySpace page -- well, yesterday, Judge Thomas R. Mulroy sent out an email touting his new Facebook page. And, this morning, I found this YouTube site for S I Hersh Productions -- and on the front page of this site links to interviews with Judge Joan Powell and Paula Lingo and Judge Michael B. Hyman. (Those are links to the actual interviews; I could post the videos here, but each is about 13 minutes long and would significantly slow the loading of this page.)

You can find information about judicial candidates in Cook County almost everywhere you look... except in your daily newspaper.

More about that later.

Alliance of Bar Associations announces candidate ratings -- so far

The Alliance members are not quite done yet -- and Joyce Williams of the ISBA, who provides administrative support for the Alliance of Bar Associations wanted to make certain that this came across, loud and clear, in reviewing the information provided in this post. My thanks to Ms. Williams for sending me this information today upon its release.

That the ratings are as yet incomplete is not from lack of effort. I've said it before here and I'll repeat it, briefly, now: A tremendous amount of time and effort is put into candidate evaluations by volunteers from all of the bar associations (the Alliance does not include the Chicago Bar Association, which devotes a tremendous effort to its evaluation process as well).

Herewith the Alliance ratings: You should be able to click on each page to enlarge it to legible size. (I've converted the text provided into image files for this purpose. If it doesn't work, or doesn't work well, the fault is mine and not the Alliance's.)

Campaign news and events

A post I did Sunday that mentioned a television appearance by Judge Jesse G. Reyes may have prompted an email this morning from Judge Laguina Clay-Clark. Whether that was the inspiration or not, Judge Clay-Clark wanted me to know that she had some TV dates set up, too. I didn't have a chance to post this before her first appearance this afternoon -- but it all works out because there will be three other appearances on Chicago cable access:

Saturday Jan. 12, 2007 @ 7:00 am Channel 19
Sunday Jan. 13, 2007 @ 8:00 am Channel 21
Saturday Jan. 19, 2007 @ 8:38 am Channel 19

And, speaking of Judge Reyes, I heard from Carol Sales again. Judge Reyes has two upcoming fundraisers: The first of these will be Wednesday, January 16 at La Majada, 226 W. Harrison St. in Oak Park, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Suggested donation levels are $50, $75, or $100. This will be a weekly dinner event in January, so if you miss it, you'll have other opportunities on January 23 and January 30.

Judge Reyes will have another fundraiser on Friday, January 18, at the Lakeview Baseball Club, 3633 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Suggested donations for this event are $75, $125, or $250 donations. If you have questions about any of these events, or to confirm a reservation, email jesse.g.reyes@gmail.com.

Finally, I heard again from Allen Adomite, Director of Government Relations of the Illinois Civil Justice League and the researcher for IllinoisJudges.net. Each Cook County candidate has a separate page on the IllinoisJudges.net site; the ICJL has put up links on those pages to this blog for those candidates who have so far submitted "in their own words" statements. I understand that he intends to create new links as new candidate essays are posted here. This can only increase the 'visibility' of the candidate statements on the Internet.

And now for something completely different...

OK, maybe not completely different -- it's another website link.

But it looks like I've nearly run out of websites put up by Cook County Circuit Court candidates. And I received an email today from Lisa Jorgensen asking if I would post a link to Judge Richard F. Walsh's campaign website.

Judge Walsh is a candidate for the Campbell vacancy on the First District Appellate Court.

Anna Helen Demacopoulos website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Anna Helen Demacopoulos, candidate for the "A" vacancy in the 15th Judicial Subcircuit. I've added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar.

Margarita Kulys-Hoffman website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Judge Margarita Kulys-Hoffman, Republican candidate for the Tobin vacancy in the 13th Judicial Subcircuit, a seat she now holds pursuant to appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court. I've added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar.

John M. Allegretti website link

Per email received today from the candidate: The campaign website of John M. Allegretti, Democratic candidate in the 4th Judicial Subcircuit. I've added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar.

Aaron J. Weiss website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Aaron J. Weiss, candidate for the Sheehan vacancy in the 8th Judicial Subcircuit. I've added this link to my list of campaign websites in the Sidebar.

Pamela Elizabeth Loza website link

Here's another found on the Internet: The campaign website of Pamela Elizabeth Loza, Democratic candidate for the Devlin vacancy in the 12th Judicial Subcircuit. I've added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar on the right. More will be posted this evening.

Patrick Dennis Riley website link

Yet another from the Internet: The campaign website of Patrick Dennis Riley, candidate for the countywide Thomas vacancy. This link has been added to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar.

Jackie Marie Portman website link

Yet another one found on the Internet: The campaign website of Jackie Marie Portman, candidate for the Bush vacancy in the 5th Judicial Subcircuit. I also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar... and more will be coming soon.

Daniel T. Gillespie website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Associate Judge Daniel T. Gillespie, candidate for the Sheehan vacancy in the 8th Judicial Subcircuit. I've added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar in the right-hand column. If you know of another candidate with a candidate that I've not yet listed, please send me an email.

Debra B. Walker website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Debra B. Walker, candidate for the countywide Montelione vacancy. I've also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed in the Sidebar, please send me an email.

LaGuina Clay-Clark: In her own words

LaGuina Clay-Clark is a candidate for the Turkington vacancy in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit.

Having been a victim of racial profiling, I know what it feels like to experience an unjust system. As a frequent traveler, I was often stopped and searched by U.S. Customs at O’Hare Airport from 1983 to 1998. Each and every time I returned to our beautiful and beloved country, I was detained, taken to the back room and was humiliated and degraded based solely on the fact that I was African American and female. As it turns out, about 60 other African American women had been experiencing the exact same form of racial profiling during the same years. Some of us were detained for hours, even days, had cavity searches, removed from the airport to hospitals, handcuffed to beds and forced to ingest laxatives. We could not make phone calls. No one knew where we were, because until you cross the border back into the United States, you have no rights as citizens. None of us had committed any crimes and a large number of us were lawyers, teachers, doctors, Rhodes Scholars, nurses and other professionals. We sued U.S. Customs for racial discrimination, among other things. We fought hard from 1997 to 2005. The harassment stopped after a long hard legal battle. So, I understand completely. When people come to court they are only looking for a fair shake. We should not be judged based on the color of our skin, or where we live or how we dress. We all want and deserve justice based upon impartiality, fairness and equal protection under the law. Justice for everyone – justice for all of us.

I was appointed Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in March 2007. I interact with hundreds of people, on a daily basis. I have presided over countless trials and hearings; and pride myself on my patience and calm demeanor as I handle all matters that come before me with respect and integrity. My ongoing experience as a judge only strengthens my resolve to always treat people with dignity and respect and to continue to work hard to ensure that all people are treated fairly before the law.

I was born, raised and lived in Chicago my entire life and currently reside in the First Subcircuit to which I was appointed. My past combined experiences as Trial Judge of the Illinois Court of Claims – 7 years; Circuit Court Arbitrator – 7 years; Sole Practitioner – 15 years; and Chicago Public School Teacher – 17 years; and my dedicated service to the community afforded me a smooth transition to the bench.

I attended John Marshall Law School part-time while teaching school full-time. Upon graduating, I opened my law practice. I practiced full-time and continued to teach full-time simultaneously for seven years until I resign from teaching to dedicate all of my time to my practice. During my 17 years as a teacher, I was consistently evaluated “Superior” the highest possible rating for a teacher. During my 15 years of practice, I represented my clients with zeal and dedication.

As a Commissioner, I served as a Trial Judge on the Illinois Court of Claims for seven years. Commissioners are appointed from across the state to preside over the multitude of claims that are filed yearly. I presided over countless trials and wrote many opinions. During the same seven years, I also served as an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program.

More importantly, I have always recognized the need and obligation to give back to the very community that raised and supported me. Throughout my legal career, I volunteered my time to various organizations. For seven years, I served as pro bono attorney to the Rainbow PUSH Legal Clinic. Also, as a pro bono attorney for Center for Disability and Elder Law, I rendered legal representation on behalf of our Senior Citizens, homebound and disabled in the community. Always trying to give more, I wrote a weekly legal column for four years for a local newspaper as a pro bono columnist. I dispensed pertinent, legal information covering a multitude of topics. Additionally, in an effort to level the playing field, I worked as a pro bono counsel for First Defense Legal Aid. During 12-hour shifts, upon receiving calls from indigent detainees, I traveled to the various Chicago police precincts and protected their rights.

I have been found qualified by the Cook County Bar; Black Women’s Lawyers’ Association; Chicago Bar Association; Illinois Bar Association; and Hispanic Bar Association. I am proud to be the only one in my race endorsed by the Chicago Federation of Labor – AFL-CIO; Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization; and the Chicago Fire Fighters Union. Please visit my website for a host of other endorsements and information at www.judgeclayclark.com. My opponents are both fine attorneys; however, I am the only one who is currently a sitting Judge. I respectfully ask for your vote on February 5, 2008 to continue to serve and represent our community in the highest esteem.

Illinois State Bar Association releases Cook County candidate evaluations

My thanks to Al Adomite, Director of Government Relations of the Illinois Civil Justice League and the researcher for IllinoisJudges.net, for pointing out that the Illinois State Bar Association has released its judicial candidate evaluations for the upcoming primary.

The Illinois State Bar Association is one of several members of the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening. When all of the constituent organizations have completed their evaluations, the Alliance will release a 'grid' showing how each of the members rate each candidate. I'll be posting that grid just as soon as I can.

In the meantime, something to keep in mind with regard to bar association evaluations: There may be unanimity regarding a particular candidate -- but there isn't always. Reasonable bar associations, like reasonable people, may disagree about whether a particular candidate is fit to serve on the bench. Keep in mind also that bar associations find candidates qualified or recommended -- or not -- but positive ratings do not constitute endorsements.

With that preface, herewith the ISBA candidate evaluations, lifted straight from the ISBA website (linked above). You'll note that I've copied the entire table, even for uncontested races and Appellate Court races I've not been covering. This is a consequence of my limited HTML skills as opposed to an intentional expansion of the scope of the coverage provided here:

Key: HQ = Highly Qualified; Q = Qualified; NQ = Not Qualified; NE* = Not Evaluated/Late Submission of Application Supreme Court – 1st District Vacancy of the Hon. Mary Ann G. McMorrow Anne M. Burke HQ Appellate Court – 1st District Vacancy of the Hon. Anne M. Burke William D. O’Neal NQ Alan J. Greiman HQ Sharon Johnson Coleman Q Appellate Court – 1st District Vacancy of the Hon. Calvin C. Campbell John O. Steele Q Frank Edward Gardner NQ Richard F. Walsh Q Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Barbara J. Disko Lauretta Higgins Wolfson Q Dennis J. Burke HQ Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Francis W. Glowacki Terry MacCarthy Q Jesse G. Reyes Q Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Michael T. Healy Maureen Ward Kirby Q Peter John Curielli NQ Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Michael R. Keehan Marilyn F. Johnson Q Joseph Robert Papavero NQ Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Gay-Lloyd Lott Joanne Marie “Jody” Rogers Q Thomas J. Byrne Q Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon Anthony S. Montelione Thomas A. Doran Q Thaddeus L. Wilson Q Debra B. Walker Q Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Michael J. Murphy Paula M. Lingo Q Kristyna Colleen Ryan NQ Frank James Ryan NE* Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Julia M. Nowicki John J. “Jack” Murphy HQ Michael B. Hyman HQ Kim R. Kardas Q Brian Terrence Sexton Q Cook County Circuit Vacancy of the Hon. Mary Maxwell Thomas Joan Powell Q David John Mulvihill NQ E. Madeline O’Neill Q Patrick Dennis Riley Q 1st Subcircuit -Vacancy of the Hon. Edna Turkington Donna L. Cooper Q LaGuina Clay-Clark Q Zedrick T. Braden III NQ 3rd Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. David R. Donnersberger Patrick J. Sherlock Q 4th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Lon W. Shultz John M. Allegretti William Edward Gomolinski Q Maureen H. Masterson-Pulia Q Pat Rogers Q Mauro Glorioso Q Carmen Kathleen Aguilar Q Deirdre Ann McGuire 5th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Bernetta D. Bush Furmin D. Sessoms NQ Nkrumah Lumumba Hopkins NQ Jackie Marie Portman NQ 5th Subcircuit - Additional Judgeship “A” Stephen Stern Q Dominique C. Ross NQ 6th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Raymond A. Figueroa Nancy Hallihan Horodecki NQ Mauricio Araujo Q Laura Bertucci Smith Q Mary Katherine M. Moore HQ Stuart M. Brody Q 7th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Anthony L. Young David H. Latham Q Anita Rivkin-Carothers Q Kevin Kenneth Pechous Q Melanie Rose Nuby NQ T. Lee Boyd, Jr. NQ 8th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Nancy Drew Sheehan Gideon Abraham Baum NQ Daniel Thomas Gillespie HQ James Byrne Q Debra Kramer Marcus Q Ann Collins Dole Q James A. Shapiro Q Aaron J. Weiss Q 10th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Robert J. Kowalski Ursula Walowski Q Gerald Patrick Cleary Q James Edward Snyder Q Stephen F. Sidlowski NQ 10th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Dennis J. Morrissey Diana L. Kenworthy NQ John G. Mulroe Q Rosaire Marie Hall Q 10th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Aurelia Pucinski Joan Ellen Smuda Q Eileen O’Neill Burke Q Thomas Francis Biesty Q Kenneth L. Fletcher Q 12th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Donald M. Devlin Thomas Flannigan Q Michael John Halloran Q Pamela Elizabeth Loza Q Laura J. Morask NQ Thomas R. Mulroy Q Michaela Nolan Ryan NQ 13th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. James T. Ryan Annie O’Donnell Q James E. Babcock, Jr. Q Joe Gump Q Ann Catherine Brady Q Paul S. Pavlus Q Guy M. Karm Q 13th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Karen T. Tobin Margarita Kulys Hoffman Q George L. Straton Q Cary J. Collins Q Carol L. Barnes NQ Gary G. Stanton Q 14th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. James F. Henry James N. O’Hara NQ 14th Subcircuit - Vacancy of the Hon. Ralph Reyna Edward A. Arce NQ 15th Subcircuit Additional Judgeship “A” Michael Emmett McGinnis Q Donald Theodore Lyman NQ Thomas “TJ” Somer NQ Martin D. Coghlan Q Mary Louise Ryan Norwell Q William Joseph McGann NQ Peter Fera Q Anna Helen Demacopoulos Q Carl Evans, Jr. Q Thomas R. Mahoney Q Scott E. Lipinski NQ

Italian American Political Coalition makes judicial recommendations

An email this morning from Carol Sales, from the campaign of Judge Jesse G. Reyes, advises that the Italian American Political Coalition has made recommendations in a number of Cook County judicial races -- and, oddly enough, Judge Reyes is among the candidates recommended.

Herewith the recommendations of the Italian American Political Coalition, lifted straight from its website. Note that the IAPC makes more than one recommendation in a couple of Cook County races.

Subcircuit Vacancies

4TH SUBCIRCUIT - SHULTZ VACANCY
John M. Allegretti (D)
Patrick T. Rogers (D)
Mauro Glorioso (R)

6TH SUBCIRCUIT - FIGUEROA VACANCY
Laura Bertucci Smith (D)

7TH SUBCIRCUIT - YOUNG VACANCY
David H. Latham (D)
Anita Rivkin-Carothers (D)

8TH SUBCIRCUIT - SHEEHAN VACANCY
Daniel T. Gillespie (D)
James L. Byrne (D)

10TH SUBCIRCUIT - PUCINSKI VACANCY
Kenneth L. Fletcher (D)
Joan Ellen Smuda (D)

10TH SUBCIRCUIT - KOWALSKI VACANCY
Gerald Patrick Cleary (D)

10TH SUBCIRCUIT - MORRISSEY VACANCY
Rosaire Marie Hall (D)

12TH SUBCIRCUIT - DEVLIN VACANCY
Michael J. Halloran (D)
Laura Morask (R)

13TH SUBCIRCUIT - TOBIN VACANCY
Margarita Kulys Hoffman (R)
Cary J. Collins (R)

15TH SUBCIRCUIT - A VACANCY
Anna H. Demacopoulos (D)
Thomas "TJ" Somer (D)

Countywide Vacancies

COOK CIRCUIT- DISKO VACANCY
Dennis J. Burke (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- LOTT VACANCY
Thomas J. Byrne (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- HEALY VACANCY
Peter J. Curielli (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- NOWICKI VACANCY
Michael B. Hyman (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- HEALY VACANCY
Maureen Ward Kirby (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- KEEHAN VACANCY
Marilyn F. Johnson (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- MURPHY VACANCY
Paula M. Lingo (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- GLOWACKI VACANCY
Jesse G. Reyes (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- MONTELIONE VACANCY
Thaddeus L. Wilson (D)

COOK CIRCUIT- DISKO VACANCY
Lauretta Higgins Wolfson (D)

Laura J. Morask: In her own words

Laura J. Morask is a Republican candidate for the Devlin vacancy in the 12th Judicial Subcircuit.

Hi, my name is Laura J. Morask. As a Judicial candidate in the 12th Subcircuit I offer voters a wealth of legal experience as a 22-year courtroom veteran and strength of purpose based on a life of accomplishments as a businesswoman, writer, wife, mother and daughter.

My work ethic and moral compass come from the strong family background of my immigrant father who rose from concentration camp survivor to internationally renowned architect; designer of the John Hancock Center and my mother, a life long Chicago resident, published editor and author. From them I learned to face, not fear new experiences; that life is not a series of obstacles to be dreaded but dreams to achieve, hurdles to be overcome, and challenges to be met. I was fifteen when my mother died after a long battle against bone cancer. I was forced to grow up fast and take on the responsibility of helping to raise my younger brother while attending high school and working.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English at Washington University, I moved to New York City. I founded a clothing design business with two friends. As partner, sales and personnel manager I was responsible for over fifteen employees and learned every aspect of operating a successful business that flourished into annual sales growth of a half million dollars within four years.

In 1983, I returned home to Chicago, took the law boards, and discovered an affinity for the law. While at Chicago-Kent College of Law, I enrolled in an intensive trial advocacy course where I found the passion that defined the next 25 years of my life; courtroom trial work. I joined the Kent Legal Clinic where I externed as a clerk for the Public Defender’s Office, the State Appellate Defender’s Office and private criminal law firms providing a broad spectrum of experience including trial work, appellate advocacy, motion practice, research and brief writing, and a core foundation in the rules and procedures of all levels of state and federal court.

I joined the State’s Attorneys’ Office in 1986 working up to my current assignment as Supervisor of Preliminary Hearings, serving stints in diverse legal arenas; Appellate, Juvenile, Grand Jury/Preliminary hearing, child protection, narcotics units before promotion to the felony trial division in 1991. I eventually supervised a court call of three hundred cases and prosecuted over seventy juries, hundreds of bench trials and motions as lead attorney.

In 1998, I spearheaded a new unit, implementing a Congressional grant to combat violence against women. As the first Senior Sex Trial Specialist I successfully prosecuted sixty of the most serious and violent sex offenders; including child predators, domestic abusers and repeat offenders. Combining my interests in biology and law, I developed an expertise in DNA. Over the years I have advised and taught many fellow lawyers how to analyze and effectively present DNA evidence. I lecture locally and nationally and published a chapter in the Joint Cook and DuPage County Training Manual for Prosecutors. My DNA expertise was recently featured on FOX News.

In 2001, I joined the Special Prosecutions Bureau, Gang Crimes Unit where I successfully prosecuted dozens of murder jury trials and worked with a task force disbanding the leadership of the Black Disciple street gang. This task force required cooperative effort from the FBI, DEA, CPD, Customs, ATF, state and federal prosecutors. As liaison to the Skokie Court House I prosecuted cases for the Evanston, New Trier, Maine and Northfield townships communities bringing together members of law enforcement, school and civic groups to pursue a common goal of justice, providing an opportunity to directly serve the citizens of the 12th sub circuit. I was promoted to Supervisor in 2005.

As the deputy supervisor of preliminary hearings for Branch 44 at Harrison and Kedzie handling all of the felony cases on Chicago’s west side, I currently supervise the prosecution of 400 cases monthly, train dozens of younger assistants and manage a staff of courtroom personnel.

As a second term Trustee on the Maine Township Board I help administer a five million dollar budget to fund agencies serving children, seniors, and unincorporated Maine Township. I co-chair the National Night Out Against Crime committee which funds scholarships for disadvantaged youth. I lecture to the Mainstay youth and family department on the dangers of gang activity in the township. My work with providing township at-risk youth and families gang prevention strategies, was featured on WGN News.

I have extensive teaching experience as a faculty member of the National College of District Attorneys, an adjunct faculty Instructor at Loyola, a regular guest instructor and judge for area law schools, National and Regional competitions, the American Bar Association and National Institute of Trial Advocacy. I have published in the fields of Gang Crimes and DNA and featured in a ten-part video series used to train law enforcement officers nationwide in courtroom presentation. I have served on many bar associations’ Judicial Evaluation Committees as well as on the Editorial Boards of the Chicago Bar Magazine and Illinois State Bar Associations Law & Government Newsletter.

I have been married for nineteen years to my husband, Dean, a former prosecutor, now a successful private attorney. We have two teenage sons, who attend local Park Ridge public schools. I am an active volunteer in numerous civic and charity groups; Ronald McDonald House, Emerson, Maine South PTO’s and Mothers’ Clubs as well as at local schools where I teach government at career day and conduct mock trials. A fifteen-year member of the American Legion, my community and legal service were recognized when I was among the first women presented the Legion’s distinguished Award of Excellence for Service to the American Constitution by CD Burton Post 808.

Because my life has taken this unpredictable path to the law I have gained valuable skills including empathy, passion, perseverance and common sense, all assets to the bench. My dedication to public service is recognized by endorsements from township, women’s’, and civic organizations as well as State Senators, Representatives, local Mayors and dignitaries. I firmly believe all citizens should encounter a fair, expeditions, and courteous court system. I would be honored to be elected to fulfill one of the three highest ways a citizen can serve their country: voting, military service and jury/Judicial service.

Eileen O'Neill Burke: In her own words

Eileen O'Neill Burke is a candidate for the Pucinski vacancy in the 10th Judicial Subcircuit.

One of the greatest accomplishments that any judge can have is that the litigants who practice in front of them feel that they received a fair hearing and that they were treated with respect. The experience of having been both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, has given me what I believe is an essential qualification to be a judge, the ability to see both sides and to be fair. I am the only one in my 10th Subcircuit race who has this experience.

While at the State's Attorney’s Office, I worked in the appellate division for many years. During that time, I wrote and more than argued over 35 cases before the Appellate Court. I wrote and argued three times before the Illinois Supreme Court. I supervised the writing and filing of over a hundred briefs by junior assistant state's attorneys. I also trained them on how to prepare and argue a case before the Appellate Court.

Having this time to focus solely on research, writing and concentrating on the nuances of case law and statutory interpretation was a rare opportunity for any lawyer. Because of this experience, I have the ability to research any legal issue quickly as well as analyze complicated legal matters in an efficient and thorough manner. Because I was a supervisor, I learned how to teach what I knew to others while having them maintain their own style and work methods. One gratifying result of this experience is that colleagues routinely turn to me with legal issues or when they are looking for case law.

After I left the State's Attorney's Office, I started my own practice. Starting and running my own practice has given me added respect for those who go out and have to earn their own paycheck. Having my own business has required hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit, which will serve me well on the bench. I have litigated both criminal and civil matters. I have been in every courthouse in Cook County. I have observed the different styles and temperaments of a wide variety of judges. The judges that I have found to be the most effective are those that have a good grasp of the law, a lot of common sense and the ability to treat each and every person who comes before them with respect. I have all of these qualities.

The CBA found that I "have an outstanding temperament and possess all the requisite qualifications to serve as a Circuit Court judge." I have received Qualified, Recommended or Highly Recommended from every bar association, ISBA, Women’s Bar, Cook County Bar, Northwest Suburban Bar, Asian Bar, Lesbian and Gay Bar, Puerto Rican Bar, Decalogue Society of Lawyers.

The most compelling reason one should find me to be a fit candidate for judge is my abiding belief in and respect for the legal philosophy on which our society is based. Confident in my knowledge of the law, I feel I could, without bias of personal feeling, serve as an instrument through which the law could be administered in a fair and equitable manner. I would approach the bench as the classic icon of justice: blindfolded yet measured. As a judge, I would be honest, efficient, and fair minded.

Lauretta Higgins Wolfson website link

Per email received today from Dalila Fridi: The campaign website of Judge Lauretta Higgins Wolfson, candidate for the countywide Disko vacancy, a position she now holds pursuant to appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court. I've also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed in the Sidebar, please send me an email.

Laura Bertucci Smith website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Judge Laura Bertucci Smith, candidate for the Figueroa vacancy in the 6th Judicial Subcircuit, a seat that she now holds pursuant to Supreme Court appointment. I've also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed in the Sidebar, please send me an email.

Jesse G. Reyes website link...

...And a "MySpace" link and more.

Let me back up. Per email received from Carol Sales: The campaign website of Associate Judge Jesse G. Reyes, candidate for the countywide Glowacki vacancy. This is the website I've added to the Sidebar. But Sales' email also advises that Judge Reyes has a MySpace page. This is the first campaign MySpace page I've seen for a Cook County judicial candidate.

Ms. Sales' email also provided a couple of news items: Judge Reyes will be a guest on "Community Matters," a call-in show hosted by Joyce Washington on Chicago Access Network Television (CAN-TV 21). The show will air live at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday January 9. Viewers are invited to call (312) 738-1060 to ask questions.

Sales also writes, "We are hosting a music video contest for the song 'Jesse's Girl' by Rick Springfield. Three winners will each receive a dinner for four at the Resorts East Chicago Hotel & Casino." I believe this is also the first time I've seen a contest for a campaign-related music video for a Cook County judicial candidate. For more information about the contest follow this link or email Ms. Sales at sales.carolina@gmail.com.

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Updated 1/6/08 7:15 p.m.

Fundraiser announced for Diana L. Kenworthy

A fundraiser will be held for Diana L. Kenworthy, candidate for the Morrissey vacancy in the 10th Judicial Subcircuit, on January 9, 2008, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Dank-Haus, the German-American Cultural Center, at 4740 N. Western Avenue in Chicago.

There are three levels of ticket prices, $125, $250, and $500. 47th Ward Alderman Gene Schulter will host the event; Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke is listed as an "Honorary Guest."

Listed as co-hosts of the event are Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Committeeman Randy Barnette, Committeeman P.J. Cullerton, Committeeman Mike Kreloff, Committeeman Lou Lang, Committeeman Pat Levar, Committeeman Laura Murphy, Committeeman Pat O'Connor, Committeeman Carol Ronen, Commissioner Forrest Claypool, Commissioner Mike Quigley, Representative John D'Amico, Representative Joe Lyons, Representative Elaine Nekritz, Representative Kathy Ryg, Commissioner Debra Shore, Honorable Debby Karton, and Honorable Karen Nystrom.

Contact information may be found by following this link to the invitation.

Thank you, Rich Miller

My thanks to Rich Miller of The Capitol Fax Blog for mentioning this blog in his January 4 Morning Shorts.

For first time visitors who may be unfamiliar with the "Blogger" format: If you are looking for information about a particular race or particular candidate, use the search box in the upper left hand corner. All posts using that search term should then be displayed.

I have invited every candidate for the Cook County bench to submit a post to put their own message directly before the voters. As of this writing, these candidates have submitted posts (in the order in which they were received and posted): Thomas R. Mulroy, Debra Kramer Marcus, Michael B. Hyman, James E. Babcock, Jr., Thomas Francis Biesty, James A. Shapiro, E. Madeline O'Neill, Donna L. Cooper, and James Edward Snyder.

When we get closer to the primary it may be easier to find candidate statements ("In Their Own Words" posts) by turning to Page Two of this blog (click on the link in the title box at the top of this page) and scrolling down the sample ballot page. If the candidate's name is displayed as a link, that link will bring you to the candidate's statement. Posts on this page may be emailed by clicking on the envelope glyph at the bottom of that post. And please check out the Sidebar on the right hand side of this page: There are links there to every candidate websites I've found or been told about so far. (If you know of a Cook County judicial candidate whose website is not listed, please send me an email or leave a comment here.)

Cary J. Collins website link

Per email received from the candidate:The campaign website of Cary J. Collins, Republican candidate for the Tobin vacancy in the 13th Judicial Subcircuit. I've also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed in the Sidebar, please send me an email.

James Edward Snyder: In his own words

James Edward Snyder is a candidate for the Kowalski vacancy in the 10th Judicial Subcircuit.

I was appointed a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County by the Illinois Supreme Court in March 2007. Serving as a judge has been the greatest privilege of my career.

Cook County is more than just a bit of geography, it is a remarkably complex and beautiful community. I am entirely committed to serving the people of our county with hard work and compassion.

I have served as judge for both civil and criminal trials – In both bench trials and jury trials. In all cases the people of county deserve fair, impartial and efficient court service.

For nearly 20 years prior to becoming a judge I worked as an advocate for communities and people. Recently I served as General Counsel of the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the state-wide agency that enforces fair-employment, anti-discrimination, anti-sexual harassment, and handicap access laws in Illinois.

I have been found qualified/recommended by all 11 area bar associations, and am the endorsed candidate for both the Cook County Democratic Party and the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI-IPO).

I try everyday to be the best judge that I can be: To be fair, to know the law, and to treat the people who appear in court with respect. It touches my heart each day, and I hope to continue serving.

My opponents in the current election are each distinguished and honorable attorneys. I hope to have the public's permission to continuing serving. I respectfully request your vote in the Democratic Primary, on February 5, 2008.

More information about my work as an attorney and evaluations of my service as a judge can be found at my website: www.JudgeSnyder.com. Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy.

Fundraiser announced for Donna L. Cooper

A fundraiser will be held for Donna L. Cooper, candidate for the Turkington vacancy in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit, on January 17, 2008, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Close Up 2 Jazz Club, 416 South Clark Street, in Chicago. Suggested donations are $100 per ticket (Sponsor level) or $50.00 (Supporter level). For additional information, contact the campaign treasurer, Attorney Urie Clark, (773) 484-8218, or send an email to cooper4judge@sbcglobal.net.

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Image taken from the Close Up 2 website.

James Edward Snyder website link

Per email received this evening from the candidate: The campaign website of Judge James Edward Snyder, candidate for the Kowalski vacancy in the 10th Judicial Subcircuit, a seat he now holds pursuant to Supreme Court appointment. I've also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed in the Sidebar, please send me an email.

You may find that Snyder's new site loads a little slowly -- but that's because it features a video welcome from the candidate.

IVI-IPO posts 2008 judicial primary endorsements

The Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO) has announced its endorsements for the upcoming primary. Here are the IVI-IPO Circuit Court endorsements:

Countywide Races:
Disko Vacancy -- Dennis J. Burke
Glowacki Vacancy -- Jesse G. Reyes
Keehan Vacancy -- Marilyn F. Johnson
Lott Vacancy -- Thomas J. Byrne
Montelione Vacancy -- Debra B. Walker
Murphy Vacancy -- Paula M. Lingo
Nowicki Vacancy -- Michael B. Hyman

Subcircuit Races:
1st Subcircuit (Turkington Vacancy) -- Laguina Clay-Clark

5th Subcircuit (Bush Vacancy) -- Furmin D. Sessons
5th Subcircuit (“A” Vacancy)-- Stephen Stern

7th Subcircuit (Young Vacancy) -- David H. Latham

8th Subcircuit (Sheehan Vacancy) -- James A. Shapiro

10th Subcircuit (Kowalski Vacancy) -- James Edward Snyder
10th Subcircuit (Morrissey Vacancy) -- Diana L. Kenworthy
10th Subcircuit (Pucinski Vacancy) -- Kenneth L. Fletcher

12th Subcircuit (Devlin Vacancy) -- Michael John Halloran

15th Subcircuit (A Vacancy) -- Anna Helen Demacopoulos

Note that the IVI-IPO seems to have passed on making endorsements for the Thomas and Healy vacancies countywide and on the vacancies in the 4th, 6th and 13th Subcircuits.

Donna L. Cooper: In her own words

Donna L. Cooper is a candidate for the Turkington vacancy in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit.

I was born in and educated in Chicago. I am a graduate of Northwestern University and DePaul University Law School. My legal experience has been in the public sector.

I was a staff attorney at the Illinois Industrial Commission, where I wrote decisions and opinions for the Arbitrators and Commissioners from 1981 to 1985.

I served as an Assistant Public Defender from 1985 to 1989. I began at Juvenile Court on the abuse and neglect calendar for nine months and then went to delinquency. I took a little break from juvenile and spent about 6 months in the Appeals Division. I wrote appeals on two of the delinquency cases that I tried at juvenile. I was promoted and returned to juvenile as an assistant supervisor for about a year.

I joined the City as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Municipal Prosecutions Division in 1989. From Muni, I went to the Chicago Park District in 1992 as an Assistant General Attorney handling workers’ compensation cases. In 1995 returned to the City where I first started in the Torts Division doing worker's compensation. In 2000, I transferred to the 1st Municipal group and was promoted to the law division in February 2002. I have tried at least 14 jury cases to verdict.

I am an active member of St. Joachim Church and a founding member of my neighborhood block club. I have been a youth mentor in the State of Illinois Lincoln's Challenge Program, as well as the Cook County Bar Association's Legal Explorers and a past volunteer with Southwest Women Working Together "Read With Me" program.

I am a military lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. I was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1988, transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard in 1993 where I became the first African–American JAG in the Illinois Army National Guard. In fact, I am still the only Black JAG in the IL Army Guard.

I was the first Illinois Army National Guard JAG deployed to Iraq. I was activated and deployed to Iraq in August of 2003 as part of a special team sent to work with Polish troops. However, I did not get to assist setting up the courts as initially planned. I served as the liaison officer between the Polish and the U. S. legal office of the Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF7). I was also initially Deputy Chief, then Chief, of LEGAD (Legal Advisors) Section of the Multi-National Division, Central South (MND–CS). This was the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the Polish, Ukrainian, Spanish and other international troops.

My duties with the MND-CS included: advising the Command of the MND-CS, on legal aspects during the planning and conducting of military and humanitarian operations; advising and interpreting International Law of War, Rules of Engagement and Memorandum of Agreement issues; and detention operations. I supervised and worked with foreign attorneys. In addition, I reviewed and interpreted foreign legal documents. I helped the Polish establish procedures for claims made by Iraqi citizens against the various nations and handled claims filed against the United States. I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel while there and was pinned by a Polish Brigadier General.

While I was deployed, I took early retirement from the City of Chicago in February 2004. My intent was to pursue and do something new legally when I returned. However, since I’ve been home, the Illinois National Guard has been short on lawyers and I have been performing additional duties and training with the Guard. I have also taken courses at the JAG school in Charlottesville, Virginia and attended military legal conferences and seminars around the country. In August 2006, I went to Germany on a keep up tour for two weeks.

I was previously on the "short list" for associate judge in 1998, 1999 and most recently in February, 2007. I have been found "Qualified or Recommended" by the 10 major bar associations.

Stephen Stern website link

Found on the Internet: The campaign website of Stephen Stern, candidate for the A vacancy in the 5th Judicial Subcircuit. I've also added this link to the list of candidate websites in the Sidebar. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed in the Sidebar, please send me an email.

E. Madeline O'Neill: In her own words

E. Madeline O'Neill is a candidate for the countywide Thomas vacancy.

I am qualified for the position of Circuit Court Judge based on my experience as a Hearing Officer in the Child Protection Division of the Cook County Juvenile Court where I presided over approximately 25,000 post-dispositional permanency hearings and the breadth of experience I have had as an attorney. Lawrence Grazian, my supervisor in the Hearings Officer division, wrote that, "Throughout her tenure, Ms. O’Neill has demonstrated her ability to manage a heavy court call efficiently and compassionately. In fact, I have frequently entrusted Ms. O’Neill to restore historically problematic calls to health … Her success is the direct result of her sound judgment, integrity, work ethic, and people skills.”

In addition to my abilities as a Hearing Officer, I possess experience in trial litigation both in the civil and criminal areas of the law. I have participated in both jury and non-jury cases. My practice has ranged from complex constitutional and treaty cases to domestic relations, torts, Shakman, discrimination claims, employment law, bankruptcy and criminal matters. Therefore, while my experience as a Hearing Officer has been in Juvenile Court, my experience in different legal venues allows me to be comfortable and capable in a variety of assignments through out the court system. Moreover, my success as an appellate prosecutor reflects my ability to analyze legal and factual issues and coherently draft a written legal argument. This ability is transferable to analyzing evidence and writing cogent legal opinions.

As a judge, I shall bring these experiences with me to ensure that justice will be dispensed with civility and respect for all who appear before me.