Filling Judicial Vacancies

The Chicago Tribune has reported that Justice Freeman of the Illinois Supreme Court has appointed his long-time law clerk, Jean Cocozza, to a vacancy in the Circuit Court. The Tribune reports that Judge Cocozza has no courtroom experience and that she was not evaluated for judicial service by any in...
March 12, 2013

Proposals to Reform the Judicial Retention Process

Two bills recently introduced into the Illinois state legislature have caught our attention. Representative Kelly Cassidy has sponsored HJRCA0010, a proposal to amend the Illinois constitution and create a judicial performance commission for the evaluation of judicial retention candidates. Rep. C...
February 26, 2013

Did you vote in the judicial retention election last year?

Did you vote in the judicial retention election last year? Chances are that you did not. There were 59 judges on the retention ballot and their names were listed in a seemingly random order—not alphabetical, not grouped by court division, just 59 names and the questioned “should this judge be retai...
February 19, 2013

Ballot Order for Judicial Retention Candidates

Ballot order for judicial retention candidates is essentially nonsensical to the voter. They’re not alphabetical. The ballot order of retention candidates is not based on filing date, either. They are in an order set by statute, 10 ILCS 5/16-6.1 The judicial retention candidates are identified on t...
February 15, 2013

Letter to the Editor: Campaign contributions and recusal

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (account required for access) has run a letter to the editor from our Executive Director and our partners at the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, discussing the need for improved recusal standards in Illinois. We're pleased to...
February 12, 2013