We need to have people who are directly impacted leading that work and making sure that their stories are getting told, she said. The court decision and his majority opinion in the 1857 Dred Scott v.Sandford case helped to bring on the American Civil War. Many voters vote No on all the judges not to hurt the judges but to help campaigns take out bad judges that have been targeted by groups angry with rulings. He has been sitting in the Child Protection Division since 2017. Another 1st District judge, current Chief Justice Anne Burke, is retiring. The Washington Post e-Replica. The Alamo dome was packed with Chavez fans, and the arena became quieter and quieter as the fight went on. Many of the bar associations then join together to question the judicial candidate in an interview that might take up to an hour. Attorneys described him as a hard worker who is prepared, strict and fair. For example, people who support controversial Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx are campaigning hard to toss Judge Michael P. Toomin from the ballot. Prior to this, she has been Chief of General Prosecutions for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from 2014 to 2016; Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Safety and Security Officer for the Chicago Transit Authority from 2009 to 2014; and an assistant states attorney from 2001 to 2009. Elizabeth Beth Ryan has been licensed since 2004. Lawyers appearing before him describe him as having superior legal knowledge, being always prepared, and excellent with complex cases. Judge David Yaffee. Hon. He is a past president of the Illinois Judges Association and the Latin American Bar Association. Hon. Survey respondents ranked the legal systems of Florida, Mississippi, California and Louisiana 46th-49th, respectively. She also serves as Acting Presiding Judge when the Presiding Judge is unavailable. That all led to two vacancies on the ballot this year for the newly drawn Second and Third Districts in Chicago's suburban counties. Using an index of three measures -- life expectancy at birth, bachelor's degree attainment, and poverty rate -- 24/7 Wall St. identified the worst counties to live in in every state. Cook County Judge Carol Howard is known among certain prosecutors as being so lenient on criminals that her courtroom, room 203, has earned the slogan of "set em' free, room 203." One case . Attorneys widely praised him for his work in his current assignment and his knowledge of abuse and neglect law. The ISBA finds Judge Daniel Patrick Duffy recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. She is a former president of the Southwest bar Association and a member of various other bars. More than a half-century ago, Colorado voters passed a constitutional amendment to abolish partisan judicial elections and instead appoint judges based on merit. Attorneys praised her knowledge of the law, high integrity, judicial temperament, and fairness. This year, that state placed 10th. Hon. He is a committee member of the Illinois Judicial Council and has published articles. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. Hon. Hon. printable summary of the ratings is also available. He has spent his career as an assistant attorney general, where is currently is the Bureau Chief of the Charitable Trust Bureau. She also received positive comments for her character, integrity, sensitivity, and temperament. Ruth Isabel Gudino was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1995. The Committee finds Aileen Bhandari qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. She has substantial criminal jury and bench experience. Illinois also ranked 50th in "Quality of Appellate Review" and 49th in "Juries' Fairness." . The best way to select judges is still hotly debated. While almost 20 states, including New Mexico, Missouri, Utah, and Alaska, use whats called a performance commission model of judicial evaluation, Colorado has won a reputation as a model of how best to evaluate the performance of judges. Kurt P. Klein of DeKalb County became an associate judge in 1995, and was appointed to an open circuit judge seat in 2001. It was consistently reported by attorneys that his legal knowledge and ability is excellent, and he is able to grasp complex legal theories and understanding of the issues. Malcolm Rich, executive director of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, said voters sometimes ask for more extensive research, including data on court management, results from court watching, and comments from people who have appeared before the judge. Rena Marie Van Tine was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1986. The ISBA finds Judge Charles Patrick Burns recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. The retention voting process is complicated and favors the judges, regardless of their actions. The last two judges scored the fight 115-115. 17. Attorneys reported that she makes thoughtful decisions and is knowledgeable about procedure and law. Most of the bar associations issue only their rating a proverbial thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Prior to her appointment, she was the Supervisor of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau for the States Attorneys Office in the Fourth District (Maywood), where she had also been Deputy Supervisor. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 1998 and retained in 2004, 2010 and 2016. She is a career assistant states attorney currently assigned to the Felony Trial Division. 1 two years ago. We think that bar associations are limited in how far they can go, in how far they can push the judiciary for that reason, she said. Having the highest number of rulings reversed of any judge IS an issue. Resident judges are chosen by the electorate of the county or circuit in which they reside, or . She was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. Those who appeared before him in First Municipal described his legal knowledge as above average; those appearing before him in his current assignment reported that while he was not initially familiar with that area of law, he has worked to learn it and gives fair rulings. Each judge has to garner at least 60% of the vote to stay on the bench. Hon. Injustice Watch's nonpartisan guide to the November 2022 Cook County judicial elections. A wide range of business sizes and industries have come under fire from these class actions, most recently even including The Salvation Army, hospitals and casinos. DuPage County Bar Announces Judicial Ratings and Recommendations for General Election. He is a former officer of the Alliance of Illinois Judges. Having the highest number of rulings reversed of any judge. Judge Charles Beach is found to be qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Ms. Ryan reports that she has tried eight civil jury trials. That could mean total damages could quickly climb into the millions or even billions of dollars, depending on the size of the company. Since 2015 she has been assigned to the Municipal Department in the Second District (Skokie), hearing a variety of cases on a rotating basis. He is a past president of the Advocates Society. Dorothea Renee Jackson has been licensed since 2006. To this day Maloney is listed as "one of the worst judges in history." 3. The ISBA finds Judge Matthew Link recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. But they are not like everyday candidates even though they are candidates on our election ballot. Judge Mark Ciavarella Destroyed families via jail for . The ISBA finds Judge William H. Hooks not recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. As Chief Judge he is responsible for the overall operation of the Court system as well as various agencies like Adult Probation, the Juvenile Detention Center, the Office of the Public Guardian, the Mandatory Arbitration Program, and other court-related offices. Prior to this he served as an assistant states attorney until 2006 when he opened his own general practice focusing on criminal defense and real estate. Attorneys describe him as having an encyclopedic knowledge of substantive law, unflappable, always prepared, and a straight shooter. The 2022-2023 Judicial Hellholes report shines its brightest spotlight on eight jurisdictions that have earned reputations as Judicial Hellholes. On one hand they have to remain non-partisan and be fair, which is something that is impossible to do in Cook County and in any election. Hon. Hon. Any list of terrible Supreme Court justices that does not begin with Chief Justice Roger Taney will inherently be controversial. He was described as being very fair, with high integrity, organization, and diligence, particularly praising how smooth his courtroom has run during Covid. Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant, / h a r m ju l s i z / HY-rm yoo-LISS-eez; April 27, 1822 - July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. [Read the Tribune's endorsements for the 2018 general election]. Currently she is on the board of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and volunteers with other community groups. There are four Cook County Judges seeking retention who have the worst records when it comes to having their rulings reserved by the Appellate Court. ADULT STAR USES FAN FOR $$$! He has been assigned to Criminal Division since October 2017; since October 2021 he has presided over a felony call after previously serving in the Pre-Trial Division. The ISBA finds Justice Terrence J. Lavin recommended for retention to the Illinois Appellate Court First District. Hon. He has served on the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee for thirty years, taught trial advocacy, written and taught classes on legal ethics. Although more research is needed in the area of substance abuse and loneliness to understand the link, data reports also indicate a tie . While Chicago Appleseed concluded that the pilot project demonstrated the value of these more robust public judicial evaluations, it was discontinued in 2014 because of a lack of outside funding. In Cook County, two-thirds of the roughly 400 judges are elected - either countywide or on a subcircuit, which is a particular . He is also known to be impartial, ethical, and diligent. Cook County Circuit Judge Timothy Evans, a consummate politician who served for years on Chicago's City Council, faces a retention race this November but first his peers will . He is considered to be a strong advocate and an experienced trial attorney who gets good dispositions for his clients. Give credit to the original source. The effectiveness of the bond court and electronic monitoring has also been an issue, with some complaining about a lack of transparency at times. He is currently the Treasurer of the Advocates Society and a committee member. Illinois Courts Commission: A System Borne from Scandal, Joseph C. Polito, Will County Associate Judge, Kurt P. Klein, DeKalb County Circuit Judge, William G. Schwartz, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge. He is a member of several bar associations. America's Worst Judges. After first being assigned to First Municipal, in 2019 he was assigned to the Law Division, Tax and Miscellaneous Remedies. Hon. Many attorneys praised his legal knowledge and ability, stating that he understands the issues in complex matters and has a good sense of justice. John Fitzgerald Lyke, Jr. has been licensed since 1994. As an alternative, during business hours, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM through 6:00 PM, an email message concerning the emergency can be sent to Emergency_Judge@ilnd.uscourts.gov. He is currently assigned to the Law Division Trial Section where he has sat since 2013. After serving as Cook County Public Guardian, he was elected to the Circuit Court in 2004, retained in 2010 and 2016. Hon. Catherine Ann Schneider has been licensed since 1994. The ISBA finds Justice Mary Jane Theis recommended for retention to the Illinois Supreme Court First District. Democrats have long held a 4-3 majority on the court. Nine attorneys and eight nonlawyers evaluated judges up for retention in Cook County in the 2010 and 2012 elections. Has been a speaker on legal topics and is a member of various bar associations. Judges are really sensitive about elections. Colorado and many of the states that have adopted public commissions to evaluate judges differ from Illinois in another key way by appointing, not electing, judges. Pursuant to ISBA guidelines, Judge Collins is found to be not recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. She currently sits in the Law Division, Motion Section. She received high praise for her integrity and her sensitivity towards the many diverse people that appear before her, include those appearing pro se. The ISBA finds Judge Maureen ODonoghue Hannon recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Raymond Mitchell was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1993. Lifetime Achievement Award , and the Northwest Suburban Bar Association has named a scholarship in his honor. The judges referenced in this story fall way below that number whenyou consider all cases on appeal. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2010 and retained in 2016. She has been a local prosecutor and administrative law judge for several suburban municipalities. Under her proposal, judges who were found qualified would have automatically received another term, while those who were found not qualified would have faced a public retention vote. An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. Most of us dont have any feelings about judges at all, until we come before judge for any of a million reasons involving the law, speeding tickets, and more. He is highly respected for his clear reasoning, his good solid writing and hard work. In a recent interview, Rich acknowledged that bar associations should move beyond just relying on lawyers for input in coming up with their ratings on judicial candidates. The ISBA finds Judge John P. Kirby recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. In 2018, Matthew Coghlan became the first Cook County circuit court judge to lose a retention race in 28 years, in part because of his alleged role as an assistant states attorney in wrongful convictions tied to disgraced former police detective Reynaldo Guevara, as well as his comparatively lenient sentences as a judge for police officers accused of crimes. Charles Freeman Judicial Merit Award from the Decalogue Society in 2017; the Earl Burris Dickerson Award from the Chicago Bar Association in 2019; the Mary Heftel Hooton Award from the Womens Bar Association in 2020; and the Vanguard Award from the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association in 2021. Hon. At that point, the bar associations decide whether a judge is qualified to continue to serve or whether a candidate will be recommended for the bench. Remarkably, the Cook County Democratic Party which routinely urges a yes vote on all Democratic judicial candidates, regardless of performance is recommending a no vote on Coghlan. 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