Chicago Council of Lawyers Speaks Out on the Judicial Election Tomorrow
Chicago Appleseed has long been partnered with the Chicago Council of Lawyers, acting as a research institute for issues identified by Council members. We’d like to share the following editorial from the Chicago Council of Lawyers, regarding tomorrow’s judicial retention election.
Editorial Statement from the Chicago Council of Lawyers:
Vote for Qualified Judges
The Cook County Democratic Party has put partisan expedience above the public interest. It has mailed a brochure urging citizens to vote Yes on all of the judges seeking retention in office. Suggesting that all of the judges now serving are doing a good job is a serious disservice to the public. The leaders of the Democratic Party should know better. Some of the judges clearly should not be retained, for the reasons set forth in the Council of Lawyers’ judicial evaluations. Lumping all of the retention candidates together is an insult to the many fine judges who work carefully and diligently to assure that Chicagoans receive justice.
The most extreme example is Judge Cynthia Brim. The Council has repeatedly recommended that Judge Brim not be retained. Interviews with attorneys who have practiced before Judge Brim indicate a lack of confidence in her legal abilities and in her ability to manage her call. Her rulings are often described as unpredictable and delayed. There have been many complaints that she is late to take the bench, and there are concerns that her case management delays resolution of cases. Attorneys have reported that she is particularly rude and unaccommodating to counsel who are on call in multiple courtrooms. Finally, Judge Brim has been suspended from her duties since March due to allegations of serious misconduct at the Daley Center. Notwithstanding that suspension, she is still drawing her pay.
There is no good reason why the taxpayers of Cook County should vote to continue to pay Judge Brim $182,000 per year. The only reason, and it is not a good one, is that the Democratic Party finds it easier to instruct voters to vote “Yes” across the board. It pains us to have to criticize one of our major political parties. But we believe it is our role to set the record straight.
To get authoritative information about the judicial candidates, voters can review the judicial evaluations of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, at www.chicagocouncil.org or review the evaluation report issued by the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County whose report can be found at www.VoteforJudges.org.