All Illinois Voters Can Now Vote By Mail!

The Cook County blog reports that, for the first time in state history, all registered Illinois voters may mail in their vote. “In the past, you needed an absentee excuse to vote by mail,” Cook County Clerk David Orr said. “All voters are now eligible for a mail ballot, bringing one more convenient...
March 1, 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

Recusal Standards for Judges

Finding ways to ensure the competence and integrity of the judicial system is a research and advocacy priority at Chicago Appleseed. We consider ways to advocate for improvement through our court-watching projects, the research and support we give to the Judicial Performance Commission, and in our r...
August 5, 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
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