Why do we send bad judges to the bench?
People complain about our judicial system, but when they have a chance to do something about it, they don't.
Every election, it's the same: We elect a few bad judges.
Most people were unaware until they went to vote in this year's election that over 70 judges for the Cook County Circuit were on the ballot for retention.
People voted to retain all the judicial candidates, yet several were rated as "Not Qualified: or "Not Recommended" by all ten agencies that make up the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening.
This alliance included Cook County Bar Association, Chicago Council of Lawyers, Illinois State Bar Association and seven other agencies.
Just think how bad these judges must be to have all ten say they are not qualified or not recommended?
Who in there right mind would vote to retain these judges? But we did.
Most papers and voteforjudges.com gave there recommendations, but people didn't take the time to do the research.
Thank God, most of the judges were rated as qualified or recommended by the alliance of bar associations.
What can we do to get rid of the bad ones now that the voters have spoken?
We need a better way to elect or retain judges. I suggest getting the judges off the ballot and setting up an independent committee (not politicians) able to elect and retain judges based on there qualifications and merit.
Mike Brown
Mount Prospect