Cameras in the Courtrooms

On Tuesday, January 24, the Illinois Supreme Court announced (.pdf) approval of a pilot program to allow cameras in court rooms in Illinois. Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans is enthusiastic about the idea and plans to petition for inclusion in the program. Judge Evans said he has...
January 26, 2012

Judicial Campaign Contributions Revive Need for Recusal Standards

The sole asbestos judge in Madison County, IL was dropped from several asbestos cases after receiving over $30,000 in campaign contributions from asbestos plaintiffs' law firms, reports the Belleville News Democrat. Just days before contributing to Judge Crowder's campaign for re-election, the three...
December 19, 2011

A Call for Transparency: Illinois Judicial Vacancies Should Be Made Public

This piece originally appeared at the Huffington Post. When an Illinois judge quits or retires before the end of her term, Article VI, Section 12 of the Illinois Constitution allows the Illinois Supreme Court to select her replacement. This process happens behind closed doors –the vacancy is not an...
June 24, 2011