EVALUATIONS OF JUDICIAL CANDIDATES
ALLIANCE OF BAR ASSOCIATIONS FOR JUDICIAL SCREENING
2020 – PRIMARY ELECTION – 2020
Cook County
It’s that time again. While so many people are concentrating on the Presidential Primary, we’re here to remind you that the March 17 election goes far beyond voting for a presidential candidate.
The ballot you’ll receive will have a long list of judicial candidates to choose from. In Illinois the elections that strike closest to your personal life are those for judges. Why? If you ever have to go to court for ANY reason, you’ll be facing a judge who is either qualified to be on the bench or who is not (or at least, was not at election time). You want to be sure you’ve voted for the BEST-QUALIFIED candidates possible.
In this election, you are NOT voting to RETAIN judges in their positions. That happens in November. In the Primary you are voting to PUT judges on the bench, filling vacancies that have occurred because of retirement or other reasons for leaving a judicial position.
Please understand that in some instances, particularly with respect to the Illinois Supreme Court or the Appellate Court, candidates are evaluated as “Not Qualified” if they have no prior experience as judges. It’s up to you to decide whether or not to place someone on a higher court bench who has not previously sat on a court bench anywhere.
We understand that the amount of information in this blog post is daunting. However, it would be far more daunting to arrive at your polling place and to be confronted by a bunch of candidates about whom you know nothing, causing you NOT to vote on those contests. Please don’t do that. And please don’t vote for people on the basis that their “names sound nice,” as one person told us she did.
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For each primary election in Illinois, The Alliance of Bar Associations, a consortium of 12 bar associations, publishes its combined evaluations of candidates for the benches of Illinois State Supreme Court, Illinois State Appellate Court, and Cook County countywide and subcircuit seats.
This blog post presents their evaluations in summary fashion by type of court.
In the evaluations you will see acronyms designating individual bar association evaluations. See the end of this blog posting for the list of bar associations that comprise the Alliance and their acronyms.
A caution:
- The ballot for this primary is a very long one.
- In Cook County you’ll be voting for
- llinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court candidates and for seats now open on the Circuit and Subcircuit benches in your Circuit Court district.
- And for a candidate of your party for
- President
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Illinois State Senate
- Illinois House
- Cook County State’s Attorney
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
- Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review (which decides on real estate tax appeals)
- And multiple candidates for
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
- Delegate to the National Convention
- In addition, you might have a referendum or two to vote on.
This document provides information only on judicial elections.
Our strong recommendation is that you do one of the following:
- Go to https://illinoisvoterguide.org/ (the League of Women Voters of Illinois voting site)
- Either login (if you already have a username) or set up an account (very simple)
- Follow the instructions to get to the ballot you will have when you vote
- You will click on various offices to see who the candidates are; you get to pick your candidate, then “Add to My Ballot”. Be sure to do that for each candidate you pick.
- When you get to the judicial candidates, use the document you’re looking at right now to assess whom to vote for.
- You can also review media endorsements; for example, you can see all of the Chicago Tribune’s picks at https://bit.ly/2PIEfFw
- You can print your ballot with your choices already on it (2 pages). Take it with you to vote.
- Go to the Cook County Clerk’s website (https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/your-voter-information)
- Obtain a sample ballot FOR YOUR LOCATION
- Print the ballot (caution: it’s 14 pages long – print on both sides!)
- With the help of the document you’re now reading, mark your choices on the sample ballot so that you can take it with you to vote.
- Ahead of time, you will also find the “Contests On Your Ballot” that apply to your location in the “Voter Information for the March 17, 2020 Presidential Primary Election” mailer you will have received from the County Clerk.
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Illinois Supreme Court
In the Illinois Supreme Court 1st District (Cook County), 7 Democrats are running in the primary on March 17. There is no Republican candidate, so the Democrat who wins the primary will be the elected judge, though this will be formalized in the November General Election.
Illinois Supreme Court – Freeman Vacancy
Jesse G. Reyes
HLAI, PRBA, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better100%
P. Scott Neville
CCL says Well Qualified; CCBA, HLAI, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Shelley A. Harris
CCBA, HLAI, LAGBAC say Not Recommended; ISBA says Not Qualified
Qualified or Better 60%
Cynthia Cobbs
HLAI says Highly Recommended
Percentage of Bars finding Qualified or Better 100%
Margaret Stanton McBride
CCL says Well Qualified; ISBA says Highly Qualified; CCBA says Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 92%
Daniel Epstein
All say Not Recommended due to Experience Requirement
Qualified or Better 0%
Nathaniel Roosevelt Howse
CCL says Well Qualified; HLAI, ISBA, LAGBAC say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Percentage of Bars finding Qualified or Better 100%
Illinois Appellate Court
Illinois Appellate Court – Neville Vacancy
Maureen Patricia O’Leary
All but HLAI say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 12%
Carolyn J. Gallagher
DSL, HBA, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 75%
Sandra Gisela Ramos
DSL, LAGBAC, WBAI, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 60%
Michael B. Hyman
CCBA, DSL, HLAI, LAGBAC, CCL, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Illinois Appellate Court – Simon Vacancy
John Griffin
CCL says Well Qualified; DSL, HLAI, LAGBAC, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Sharon O. Johnson
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Cook County Circuit Courts
The table below shows the seven circuits in the County Court system. You will vote only on the contests in your judicial district. Consult your local ballot (online) or the “Voter Information for the March 17, 2020 Presidential Primary Election” mailer sent to you by the County Clerk for the “Circuit Court Judge” as well as subcircuit judge contests that apply to you.
The Circuit Court’s six districts and the areas which they serve are:
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City of Chicago |
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Northern suburbs of Cook County |
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Northwestern suburbs of Cook County |
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Western suburbs of Cook County |
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Southwestern suburbs of Cook County |
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Southern suburbs of Cook County |
By way of explanation, we quote Judge Pamela McLean Meyerson on how the circuits and subcircuits actually work, which belies how you vote, in particular, for subcircuit judges.
“Judicial subcircuits are not the same as judicial districts. Cook County has 15 subcircuits, not all of which will have openings in any given election cycle. Oak Park, for example, is in the 11th, which does not have any vacancies this time. Once elected, whether from a subcircuit or countywide, all judges go into the same “pot” and can be assigned to any courthouse in the county, at the pleasure of Chief Judge Timothy Evans. Those courthouses include the six Municipal District courthouses in Chicago, Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham, which handle certain kinds of cases that arise within their boundaries. I was elected from the 11th subcircuit, but could have been assigned anywhere.”
The following list contains ALL Circuit Court judge contests.
Bellows Vacancy
Tiesha L. Smith
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Cristin McDonald Duffy
DSL, LAGBAC say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Kerrie Maloney Laytin
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Ford Vacancy
U. O’Neal
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Laura Ayala-Gonzalez
LAGBAC says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
John O’Meara
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Larsen Vacancy
Levander “Van” Smith, Jr.
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Suzanne Therese McEneely
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Megan Kathleen Mulay
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
McCarthy Vacancy
Teresa Molina
HLAI says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Michael O’Malley
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
O’Brien Vacancy
Elizabeth Anne Walsh
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Lloyd James Brooks
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Heather Anne Kent
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Roti Vacancy
Lorraine Mary Murphy
LAGBAC, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
James Patrick Crawley
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Araceli Reyes De La Cruz
LAGBAC says Highly Recommended; ISBA says Not Qualified
Qualified or Better 92%
K. Sheehan Vacancy
Jill Rose Quinn
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
James Samuel Worley
CCBA, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 75%
Wendelin “Wendi” DeLoach
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Coghlan Vacancy
Kelly Marie McCarthy
DSL says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Aileen Bhandari
LAGBAC, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Elizabeth “Beth” Ryan
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
James T. Derico, Jr.
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Funderburk Vacancy
Jacqueline M. Griffin
AABA, DSL, LAGBAC say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 73%
Daniel L. Collins
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Marie Therese Quinn
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Celestia L. Mays
CCL says Well Qualified; CCBA, HLAI, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Mason Vacancy
Arthur D. Sutton
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Bonnie Carol McGrath
CCL says Not Recommended
Percentage of Bars finding Qualified or Better 0%
Jennifer Patricia Callahan
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Chris Stacey
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Joy E. Tolbert Nelson
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Joseph Chico
WBAI, CCL, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 63%
Murphy Gorman Vacancy
Sheree Desiree Henry
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Dan Walsh
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Amanda “Mandy” Pillsbury
BWLA, CCBA, HLAI, CCL, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 55%
Keely Patricia Hillison
CCBA, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 82%
Patti Vacancy
Lynn Weaver Boyle
DSL, HLAI, LAGBAC, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
C. Sheehan Vacancy
Deidre Baumann
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Maura McMahon Zeller
ISBA says Not Qualified
Qualified or Better 92%
Russell Hartigan
CCL says Well Qualified; DSL, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Cook County Subcircuit Candidates
The following list contains ALL Subcircuit Court judge contests.
First Subcircuit
First Subcircuit – Brooks Vacancy
Krista D. Butler
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
First Subcircuit – Crawford Vacancy
Tyria B. Walton
CCL says Well Qualified; HLAI, LAGBAC, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Second Subcircuit
Second Subcircuit – “A” Vacancy
Sondra Nicole Denmark
LAGBAC say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Felicia H. Simmons-Stovall
ISBA says Not Qualified
Qualified or Better 89%
Chelsey R. Robinson
ISBA says Not Qualified
Qualified or Better 91%
Third Subcircuit
Third Subcircuit – Filan Vacancy
Daniel Edward Maloney
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Third Subcircuit – Murphy Vacancy
Erin Haggerty Antonietti
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Thomas G. O’Brien
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Third Subcircuit – Flynn Vacancy
Lauren Brougham Glennon
WBAI, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 78%
David A. Bonoma
WBAI, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 82%
Regina Ann Mescall
ISBA says Highly Qualified; CCBA says Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 90%
James John Knibbs
HLAI, PRBA says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Thomas J. Condon, Jr.
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Brad S. Telander
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Scott Edward Lipinski
AABA, DSL, WBAI, CCL say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 50%
Sixth Subcircuit – Pantle Vacancy
Eileen Marie O’Connor
LAGBAC says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Cory Eli Oshita
BWLA,WBAI, CCL, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 56%
Anthony Lucafo
HLAI, LAGBAC, WBAI say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Sixth Subcircuit
Sixth Subcircuit – Nega Vacancy
Jamie Guerra Dickler
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Anne Shaw
HLAI, PRBA, WBAI, CCL, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 55%
Seventh Subcircuit
Seventh Subcircuit – Jackson Vacancy
Owen “Joe” Shelby
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Marcia O’Brien Conway
PRBA says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Pamela Reaves-Harris
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Mable Taylor
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Kristen Marie Lyons
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Eighth Subcircuit
Eighth Subcircuit – Gubin Vacancy
Michael A. Forti
PRBA says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Eighth Subcircuit – Fleming Vacancy
Jonathan Clark Green
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Bradley R. Trowbridge
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Ninth Subcircuit
Ninth Subcircuit – Axelrood Vacancy
Pamela “Pam” Stratigakis
HLAI, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Thomas M. Cushing
CCL says Well Qualified; DSL says Highly Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Ira I. Silverstein
CCBA, HLAI, PRBA, WBAI, CCL, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 25%
Timothy Patrick Carter
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Ninth Subcircuit – Luckman Vacancy
Thomas Peter Kougias
CCBA, DSL, HLAI, LAGBAC, CCL, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 36%
Julie Bess Aimen
CCL says Well Qualified; ISBA says Highly Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Michael Alan Strom
CCL says Well Qualified; DSL, HLAI, LAGBAC, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Basileios “Bill” Foutris
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Tenth Subcircuit
Tenth Subcircuit – McGing Vacancy
John Garrido
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
John Stromsta
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Maire Aileen Dempsey
HLAI says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Tenth Subcircuit – Allen Vacancy
John G. Mulroe
HLAO, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Tenth Subcircuit – O’Brien Vacancy
Daniel Alexander Trevino
CCL says Well-Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
John Hourihane
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Audrey Victoria Cosgrove
PRBA says Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Mary Catherine Marubio
DSL, LAGBAC, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Liam Kelly
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Twelfth Subcircuit
Twelfth Subcircuit – Hanlon Vacancy
Patricia M. Fallon
HLAI, PRBA say Highly Recommended
Qualified or Better 100%
Howard J. Wise
PRBA says Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 89%
Carmine Trombetta
PRBA says Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 91%
Frank R. DiFranco
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Thirteenth Subcircuit
Thirteenth Subcircuit – Kulys Hoffman Vacancy
Joe Gump
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Matt Flamm
CCL says Well Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Michael Harry Minton
CCBA, DSL, WBAI, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 33%
Susanne Michelle Groebner
CCBA says Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 91%
Michael P. Gerber
DSL, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Angel Garcia
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Gary William Seyring
Qualified or Better 100%
Fourteenth Subcircuit
Fourteenth Subcircuit – Bertucci Vacancy
Gerado Triston, Jr.
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Steve Demitro
All say Not Recommended
Qualified or Better 0%
Fourteenth Subcircuit – Lacy Vacancy
Daniel O. Tiernan
DSL, ISBA say Highly Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Perla Tirado
DSL, WBAI, ISBA say Not Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 70%
Fifteenth Subcircuit
Fifteenth Subcircuit – Griffin Vacancy
Heather Mulligan Begley
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Nichole C. Patton
All say Recommended/Qualified
Qualified or Better 100%
Members, The Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening
AABAR: Arab American Bar Association of Illinois
AABA: Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area
BWLA: Black Women Lawyer’s Association of Greater Chicago
CCL: Chicago Council of Lawyers
CCBA: Cook County Bar Association
DSL: Decalogue Society of Lawyers
HBA: Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois
HLAI: Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
ISBA: Illinois State Bar Association
LAGBAC: Lesbian and Gay Bar Association
PRBA: Puerto Rican Bar Association
WBAI: Women’s Bar Association
Thank you for this helpful list, but why are you using an almost impossible to read pale grey typeface?