Bar associations release Cook County judicial evaluations
The Suburban Bar Coalition this week released its evaluations of Cook County judges running for retention in the Nov. 4 general election.
The SBC represents the North Suburban Bar Association, the Northwest Suburban Bar Association, the West Suburban Bar Association, the South Suburban Bar Association and the Southwest Suburban Bar Association. Coalition members evaluate judges on experience, knowledge of the law, integrity, fairness, judicial temperament and other criteria.
Both the Suburban Bar Coalition and the Alliance of Bar Associations recommended Justice Thomas E. Hoffman, of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, for retention.
To be retained, judicial candidates must receive at least 60 percent of the vote.
The Alliance of Bar Associations also released its judicial evaluations this week. The ABA represents 11 member organizations including: the Asian-American Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers' Association, Chicago Council of Lawyers, Cook County Bar Association, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Hellenic Bar Association, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association, Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, Puerto Rican Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association.
For retention on the Cook County circuit court, the Suburban Bar Coalition listed as "recommended" or "highly recommended" all candidates except Rudolpho (Rudy) Garcia and James N. O'Hara, neither of whom participated in the evaluation process and were therefore not recommended.
The Alliance of Bar Associations recommended most judicial candidates be retained. However, alliance members differed when it came to Laura Marie Sullivan and Annie O'Donnell, each of whom received five "no" recommendations from alliance members.
For the 11th Subcircuit, which includes parts of Des Plaines and Chicago, alliance members found Pamela McLean Meyerson qualified, recommended or highly recommended.
For the 12th Subcircuit, which includes parts of Wheeling, Elk Grove, Maine, New Trier and Northfield townships, alliance members found Judge James L. Kaplan qualified or recommended. Alliance members found James Pieczonka not qualified or not recommended, with the exception of the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois which found Pieczonka qualified.
For the 13th Subcircuit comprising parts of Arlington Heights, Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Schaumburg and Streamwood, the CCL found John Curry qualified, recommended or highly recommended.
For the Appellate Court, First District, the Alliance of Bar Associations found Shelly A. Harris, David Ellis and John B. Simon qualified, recommended or well-qualified and highly recommended. Alliance members listed Cook County circuit court candidates Bridget Anne Mitchell, Maritza Martinez, Daniel J. Kubasiak, Caroline Kate Moreland, Thomas J. Carroll, Cynthia Y. Cobbs, William B. Raines and Andrea Michele Buford as qualified, recommended, well-qualified or highly recommended.
Two alliance bar associations found Kristal Rivers and Patricia O'Brien Sheahan not qualified or not recommended. Four alliance bar associations found Diana Rosario not qualified or not recommended.