More recommendations on county judges

There are nearly 100 men and women running for judge this year in Cook County.

Voters in the Cook County Democratic Primary will be asked to choose judges in nine countywide races on February 5. There are also contested vacancies in the 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th and 15th Subcircuits. Two vacancies are up in the 5th and 13th Subcircuits and there are three contested races in the 10th Judicial Subcircuit.How can a voter figure out which candidates are worthy of a vote?

Chicago lawyer Jack Leyhane has been collecting information on the judicial primary and posting it on his blog, For What It’s Worth. There you will find links to candidate websites, statements offered by some of the candidates themselves, and posts that ‘organize the data’ for each contest, providing information about all available bar association ratings and endorsements by newspapers and other groups.

Primary elections are particular important in judicial races. No Republican filed for any countywide Circuit Court vacancy. Only in the 4th, 12th, 13th and 15th Subcircuits are there any Republican candidates at all. Except in these four races, the winners of Tuesday’s primaries are virtually guaranteed to take office in December.

In addition to For What It’s Worth, information about Cook County Circuit Court candidates may be found at http://www.illinoisjudges.net/ and http://www.illinoisvotersguide.org/2008/candidates.php.

Both these sites, sponsored by the Illinois Civil Justice League and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, respectively, provide information about judicial contests elsewhere in the State as well.

Illinois Civil Justice League issues judicial endorsements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Curt Mercadante
January 25, 2008 (312) 301-9055

Illinois Civil Justice League Issues Judicial Endorsements for February 5 Primary Election

CHICAGO, IL – The Illinois Civil Justice League, through JUSTPAC, the organization’s political action committee, has issued its endorsements for circuit court vacancies in the February 5th Primary Election.

“We are proud to endorse these candidates, each of whom has exhibited a commitment to a fair and impartial legal system,” said Ed Murnane, president of ICJL. “The voters should know that casting a vote for these candidates is a vote for honest and common sense – and in favor of a civil justice system that is fair to all sides.”

Following are the circuit court candidates endorsed for the Primary Election:
For Cook County Circuit Court (Montelione Vacancy):Debra Walker (Democrat)For Cook County Circuit Court (Nowicki Vacancy):Michael B. Hyman (Democrat)For 10th Subcircuit (Cook County – Pucinski Vacancy):Eileen O’Neill Burke (Democrat)For 13th Subcircuit (Cook County - Republican Nomination):Margarita Kulys HoffmanFor 1st Circuit (Stewart Vacancy, Republican Nomination):James “Randy” MooreFor 12th Circuit 2nd Subcircuit (New Seat, Republican Nomination):Elizabeth DowFor 18th Circuit (Moy Vacancy, Republican Nomination):Dorothy French
The ICJL and JUSTPAC intend to endorse additional candidates in the 2008 General Election and candidates who are unopposed in the primary were not evaluated for this first endorsement. All candidates for judicial office in Illinois were invited – twice – to respond to the Illinois Civil Justice League’s candidate questionnaire and to provide additional information about themselves and their qualifications.Only candidates who responded were considered for endorsement. All the information provided by the candidates, including their response to the ICJL questionnaire, is available on IllinoisJudges.net. Information about the candidates may be found by following the links to their pages on www.IllinoisJudges.net.

The Illinois Civil Justice League is a coalition of Illinois citizens, small and large businesses, associations, professional societies, not-for-profit organizations and local governments that have joined together to work for fairness in the Illinois civil justice system. Learn more at www.ICJL.org.

# # #