Our Amicus Brief in Avery v. State Farm
The Illinois Supreme Court has denied the appeal in Avery v. State Farm, without written opinion (.pdf), declining to restore the verdict. Chicago Appleseed takes no position on the merits of the underlying case, but did sign an amicus brief discussing the issue of judicial ethics and recusal raised in the appeal.
The Illinois Supreme Court did not mention those concerns in its brief order denying the appeal; however, Justice Karmeier took no part in the decision. Contributors to Justice Karmeier’s campaign for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court included defendant State Farm and other businesses which lobby extensively for damage caps in consumer lawsuits.
Chicago Appleseed is disappointed that the Court did not address the issues raised in the amicus. The money race in judicial campaigns will only complicate more cases in the future unless the judiciary establishes firm standards for recusal. If information about campaign contributions to judicial races is not made readily available to all litigants and their attorneys so conflicts can readily be identified, questions about judicial integrity and impartiality will only grow. The judiciary stands to lose the respect of the community it serves unless clear recusal standards with regard to campaign contributions are adopted.