Bar associations release Cook judge recommendations
The Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening has released evaluations of Cook County judicial candidates running in the Nov. 8 election.
The Alliance represents 11 bar associations including: the Asian-American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area (AABA), Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago (BWLA), Chicago Council of Lawyers (CCL), Cook County Bar Association (CCBA), Decalogue Society of Lawyers (DSL), Hellenic Bar Association (HBA), Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI), Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago (LAGBAC), Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois (PRBA), and Women's Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI).
Representatives from the various associations evaluate candidates on experience, knowledge of the law, temperament, fairness, integrity and courtroom management, among other criteria.
A majority of Alliance members found most of the candidates running countywide and in the subcircuits qualified and recommended they be retained.
A majority of Alliance members found unqualified or did not recommend Thomas William Flannigan, who's running in the 12th subcircuit, which includes Elk Grove, Maine, New Trier and Northfield townships. A majority of Alliance members also found Kevin Michael O'Donnell not qualified or not recommended. O'Donnell is running in the 13th subcircuit which consists of parts of Arlington Heights, Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Schaumburg and Streamwood.
The Alliance found all Cook County judges running for retention qualified. To be retained, a judge must receive at least 60 percent "yes" votes.
A complete listing of Alliance evaluations is available at VoteforJudges.org.