For the year 2015 there were 1001 circuit court judges, and 54 appellate court judges. He lectures on legal topics. Race and Justice in Cook County Court. Mary Lane Mikva has been licensed in 1980. Survey respondents ranked the legal systems of Florida, Mississippi, California and Louisiana 46th-49th, respectively. Why so much emphasis in Illinois on protecting criminals? He was named to the inaugural list of Crains Chicago Business Notable LGBTQ Executives in 2018. The Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Council of Lawyers, the Illinois State Bar Association and other bar groups perform a valuable public service by screening and rating judicial candidates. He was praised for his integrity, respectfulness, professionalism, organization and hard-work. Cook County Judge Beatriz Santiago pleaded for her job Tuesday, saying she had not intentionally deceived her mortgage lender on sworn documents. He is a past president of the Advocates Society. John Fitzgerald Lyke, Jr. has been licensed since 1994. The Illinois system of disciplining judges first was enacted in 1970, after two state Supreme Court Justices, Ray Klingbiel and Roy J. Solfisburg Jr., fell under scrutiny for having acquired shares in a new Chicago bank just before they took part in deciding a case in favor of one of the banks executives. At Large judges are elected from the entire circuit, including from all of Cook County. We need to have people who are directly impacted leading that work and making sure that their stories are getting told, she said. Hon. He is currently assigned to the Juvenile Justice Division, with a dual assignment to the First Municipal Division Supporting Education and Employment Development (SEED) Court. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. In the Tenth Edition of the Directory of State Judges, we have utilized Council judicial evaluations from 1986 through December 2020. Lawyers contacted spoke highly of her as being a true student of the law, describing her as exceptional, sensitive, patient, and beyond reproach. He is presently assigned to the Domestic Violence Division in the Fourth Municipal District (Maywood) since February 2012; prior to that he was assigned to Traffic Court. Hon. Attorneys reported that he knows civil procedure and runs a very tight and efficient court. She is a member of various bar associations and has been a guest lecturer at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. In 2019 he received the Cornelius Stradford Award from the Cook County States Attorney. Email us at [emailprotected] or call us at (312) 521-0977. chapala mexican restaurant lexington, sc menu. David L. Kelly has been licensed since 2001. She is considered to be fair and impartial, with high character. Even fewer complaints are made known to the public. She has been a speaker at several law schools and written on legal topics. Using court data identifying attorneys who had filed appearances in the previous three years before the dozens of judges up for retention, Chicago Appleseed sent surveys to as many of those attorneys as possible and conducted telephone interviews with a smaller sample. In this case the court ruled for the re-enslavement of Dred Scott, a Black man and former slave from Missouri who claimed to be free. After first being assigned to First Municipal, he currently presides in the Law Division, Commercial Calendar Section. He will yell at you randomly,pick on you and threaten to put you in contempt for literally no reason. She is considered to have excellent legal knowledge, and to be organized, knowledgeable, and balanced. He is currently the Presiding Judge of Child Protection, a position he has held since December 2020 when he was appointed Acting Presiding Judge. She was elected to the Circuit Court. He is currently assigned to the Law Division. Stymied by all those unfamiliar names at the bottom of your ballot? It should come as no surprise to Illinois voters that as it comes time to elect new judges to the Illinois Supreme Court, that Democrats would nominate two candidates with deep financial ties to former Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan and Chicago machine politics. Bernadette Garrison Barrett has been licensed since 1991. InjusticeWatch, by the way, doesnt recommend for or against retention as they are non-political. Most attorneys thought highly of his legal acumen, and a few noted that he is one of the more experienced judge in the First District. The organization is headed by Foxxs close political ally. He has taught as an adjunct professor, written on legal topics and been a committee member with the American Bar Association. She has civil litigation experience and attorneys report that she has excellent legal knowledge citing her ability to reduce complicated issues into manageable parts. He is a past president of the Catholic Lawyers Guild and has served as a Board member of the Illinois Judges Association. Attorneys commented on her ability to manage her court call, and to apply the law to the facts and give a good explanation of her ruling. He is considered to have high integrity with a good temperament. Judge David Yaffee. As Commanding General, he led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War in 1865 and thereafter briefly served as secretary . The Committee finds Diana Lpez qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. The potential for a shift in control of the state's highest court could impact major issues, including abortion and gun rights. He has been assigned to the Law Division Jury Section since 2017. She is a past president of the Asian American Bar Association and on the Board of the Womens Bar Association of Illinois and has been active with other bar associations. In addition, he has lectured at law schools and written on legal topics and is active in community organizations. Attorneys gave high marks for her ability to resolve complex legal issues, her ability to preside over jury trials, her professionalism, and her diligence. Retention's insulation. Hon. The caller may leave a voicemail message at this number, including the telephone number where he or she can be reached. He currently serves as the Presiding Judge in the Probate Division, after being appointed Acting Presiding Judge in 2019. The ISBA finds Judge Eve Marie Reilly recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Polito retired from the bench in July this year and is now collecting a monthly pension of $6,415.78. He is considered by attorneys appearing before him to be a hard worker of high character who is extremely knowledgeable about the law, and skilled at keeping the focus of his courtroom the juveniles appearing there. March 31, 2022. Aug. 30, 2022, 6 a.m. CTUpdated 2022, 3:11 p.m . The vast majority of attorneys reported that she is smart, knowledgeable, good at researching issues, and thorough. The ISBA finds Judge D. Renee Jackson recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. THE JUDGES BELOW ARE KNOWN TO BE CORRUPT OR HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES AND ABUSED THEIR POWER FOR PROFIT. He was appointed to the Circuit Court in 2021 after serving as an associate judge since 2003; he also served a brief time as an appointed circuit court judge in 2000. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Association and a speaker. They are: Margaret Ann Brennan, Patrick J. Sherlock, Kenneth J. Wadas and Anna Helen Demacopoulos. Freddrenna M. Lyle has been licensed since 1980. Jesse G. Reyes has been licensed since 1984. Attorneys praised his legal knowledge, especially in the area of medical malpractice which was his practice area before his election as a judge. Thomas J. Maloney (1925-2008) was a judge in Cook County, Illinois who served from 1977 until his indictment for bribery in 1991. He also received the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Court of Honor Award in 2012. He is a committee member of the Illinois Judicial Council and has published articles. The composition of attorneys is still mostly white and male, she noted, while the people who go in front of judges are not predominantly white and male.. He has been assigned to the Housing Section since 2016 after initially serving in various sections of First Municipal. 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. In January 2019 he returned to the Criminal Division. She was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. The old Congress is going out so it's time to review the worst people who are now federal judgesfor life. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. She is described as professional, and most reported that she is even keeled. The ISBA finds Judge LeRoy K. Martin recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Hon. The ISBA finds Judge Jim Ryan recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. From 2000 to 2002 she worked for the Legal Assistance Foundation; from 2002 until her appointment, she was an assistant corporation counsel to senior counsel in the Appeals Division. He currently serves on the faculty of the National Judicial College. The Committee finds Aileen Bhandari qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016. All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. She has experience in both state and federal courts, and reports having tried several civil jury trials, as well as bench trials and motions. The three . Every judge running for retention must get 60 percent Yes Votes from all the votes cast in their favor. Unjustified scrutiny on reversals not only misinforms the voter, butmore importantly discourages qualified judges from taking the hardassignments.. Attorneys regard her as an outstanding jurist who knows civil and criminal law in great depth, asks thoughtful questions, and writes detailed opinions. Or they leave them all blank. Carbondale. Attorneys reported that he is diligent, fair, even keeled and sensitive to diversity. Hon. He has served as presiding judge of the Second Division. Retention is different from an election. She is the president of the Illinois Latino Judges Association and has been a Board member of the Hispanic Lawyers Association and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Lawyers, and a committee member with the Illinois State Bar Association and the Womens Bar Association. Hon. Attorneys praised her legal ability, and her commitment to eliminating bias. Viviana Martinez has been licensed since 2007. He has been assigned to the Municipal Department in the Fifth District (Bridgeview) where he presides over various criminal calls. He was a founding member of the South Asian Bar Association. The ISBA finds Judge Catherine Ann Schneider recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Three in four Cook County voters in this years general election voted for or against at least one judge up for retention. He has been assigned to various criminal misdemeanor calls in First Municipal since 2013, after first presiding in Traffic Court. Judicial candidates are rated by the ISBA - JEC members based on detailed information supplied by candidates, a background check by trained lawyers/investigators, and interviews of each candidate. Thomas Kelley has been licensed since 1984. Before moving to the Fifth District in 2009, she was assigned to Child Protection and First Municipal, Traffic Division. Northern District of Illinois Pretrial Services. Smolletts hoax backfired when the two alleged racist and homophobic thugs turned out to be people he allegedly recruited to stage the assault. She is well-respect by attorneys and judges for her legal knowledge, integrity, judicial demeanor, and preparation. 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. #5 COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS Illinois, especially Cook . Kim said the results of the survey should be a wake-up call to policymakers, saying any states economic growth and prosperity depend in large part on the fairness and predictability of its legal system.. He is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Education, and also served on the Courts Committee on Judicial Performance for six years. Were more concerned about her track record for having cases reversed on appeal. It was reported that at times she could be condescending and disrespectful to both attorneys and litigants, and that there are times she speaks Spanish directly to litigants without properly employing the official court interpreter. He is an experienced commercial litigator, with some jury and bench trial experience and substantial complex quasi-litigation before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other boards. 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. 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. Lawyers contacted described her as possessing exceptional legal knowledge and ability, with integrity that is beyond reproach. Since 2019 she has been with Ancel Glink focusing on civil litigation defense and local government representation. 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. Kent Wagner runs the Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, a state office overseeing about 230 volunteers who evaluate judges, write up their conclusions, and recommend whether a judge meets a specified set of performance standards. He was elected to the Appellate Court in 2002 and retained in 2012. Attorneys reported that she is fair minded, hard-working, professional, and diligent. After first spending time in the Traffic Division, she was assigned to Eviction Court in 2016. He has substantial civil trial experience including in complex matters. Has been a speaker on legal topics and is a member of various bar associations. By Ted A. Donner . So, when a judges ruling is reversed, it suggests there is something wrong. She has been assigned to the Probate Division since 2018, currently sitting in Decedents Estates. Mary Ann McMorrow Service to the Profession Award in 2012 from the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity. Hon. Get the State of Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board COMPLAINT AGAINST A JUDGE - illinois accomplished. He has both criminal and civil trial experience. The ISBA finds Judge Jesse Outlaw recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. While they also praised his integrity, character, and diligence, a few did express that he could at times be irascible and several female attorneys raised concerns over what they perceived to be as inadequate attention to sensitivity. Hon. All attorneys described her as well prepared with excellent legal knowledge, and they praised her well-reasoned decisions in complex matters. It takes a 60 percent no vote to oust a sitting judge. Founder, bioengineer, and Illinois Swim Team Captain Cara Prior to her employment with the States Attorneys Office, she had been a sole practitioner handling real estate matters, and both a consulting attorney and an associate attorney with Winston and Strawn handling commercial litigation and real estate cases. Lisa Taylor has been licensed since 2001. The ISBA finds Judge Mary Kathleen McHugh recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Hon. He was praised for his efforts to improve diversity on the bench, and for his support of diversion courts like the Restorative Justice programs, and Drug, Mental Health, and Veterans Courts. 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