The Chicago Bar Association released the
findings of its Judicial Evaluation Committee
for candidates running in the February 2 primary
election for vacancies on the Illinois
Appellate Court and the Circuit Court of Cook
County.
The Chicago Bar Association released the findings of its Judicial Evaluation Committee for candidates running in the February 2 primary election for vacancies on the Illinois Appellate Court and the Circuit Court of Cook County. The CBA publishes its JEC ratings to help inform voters about the qualifications of judicial candidates. The JEC, consisting of approximately 200 lawyers, conducts a comprehensive peer review evaluation of all candidates. Candidates running for judge are issued ratings of “Highly Qualified,” “Qualified,” or “Not Recommended.” In evaluating the candidates, the JEC conducts comprehensive background investigations and interviews. Its governing resolution provides that candidates must receive at least an 80 percent favorable rating from the JEC to be found “Highly Qualified.” To be found “Qualified,” the candidate must receive a 60 percent favorable rating. The JEC applies strict criteria in evaluating judges and judicial candidates. Candidates who do not possess the requisite qualifications, which include: integrity, legal knowledge, legal ability, professional experience, judicial temperament, diligence and punctuality, will not receive a “Qualified” rating from the CBA. Candidates who decline to appear before the JEC are found automatically “Not Recommended” in accordance with JEC bylaws. For the in-depth findings and explanations of findings, visit the CBA online at www.chicagobar.org. FOR JUDGE OF THE ILLINOIS APPELLATE COURT (McNulty) ARNETTE R. HUBBARD (D) QUALIFIED ELLEN L. FLANNIGAN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED JIM RYAN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED JAMES R. EPSTEIN (D) QUALIFIED KATHLEEN G. KENNEDY (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE ILLINOIS APPELLATE COURT (O’Malley) THOMAS L. HOGAN (D) QUALIFIED PAMELA HILL-VEAL (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FRANK EDWARD GARDNER (D) NOT RECOMMENDED AURELIA MARIE PUCINSKI (D) NOT RECOMMENDED DON R. SAMPEN (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE ILLINOIS APPELLATE COURT (South) MARY KATHERINE ROCHFORD (D) QUALIFIED SEBASTIAN T. PATTI (D) QUALIFIED KEVIN ROGERS (D) NOT RECOMMENDED WILLIAM D. O’NEAL (D) NOT RECOMMENDED ANTHONY LYNN BURRELL (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Berland) WILLIAM H. HOOKS (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED DEIDRE BAUMANN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED WILLIAM BURNETT RAINES (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Bronstein) TERRY MACCARTHY (D) QUALIFIED DIANN K. MARSALEK (D) QUALIFIED SHARON FINEGAN PATTERSON (D) QUALIFIED THOMAS WILLIAM FLANNIGAN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Dolan) SUSAN KENNEDY SULLIVAN (D) QUALIFIED LINDA J. PAUEL (D) QUALIFIED KEVIN J. MURPHY (D) NOT RECOMMENDED UBI O’NEAL (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY ( Hayes) RAYMOND W. MITCHELL (D) QUALIFIED BONNIE CAROL MCGRATH (D) NOT RECOMMENDED CARL B. BOYD (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Kelley) JOHN PATRICK CALLAHAN, JR. (D) QUALIFIED JOANNE F. FEHN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (McCarthy) DANIEL J. GALLAGHER (D) QUALIFIED MAUREEN MASTERSON PULIA (R) QUALIFIED MICHAELA NOLAN RYAN (R) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (O’Malley) THOMAS V. LYONS (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Riley) SANDRA G. RAMOS (D) NOT RECOMMENDED RUSSELL WILLIAM HARTIGAN (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED JAMES MICHAEL BAILEY (D) QUALIFIED JOHN PATRICK NIHON (D) NOT RECOMMENDED EDMUND PAUL MICHALOWSKI (D) NOT RECOMMENDED MARVIN W. GRAY (D) NOT RECOMMENDED TRACEY J. STOKES (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED FINDINGS FOR COOK COUNTY SUBCIRCUIT COURT VACANCIES FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 1 – Coleman) THADDEUS L. WILSON (D) QUALIFIED LINNAE BRYANT (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 1 – Steele) SHARON ODEN JOHNSON (D) NOT RECOMMENDED MICHELLE HUGGIS FLAGG (D) NOT RECOMMENDED JESSE OUTLAW (D) NOT RECOMMENDED JOSEPH CHICO (D) NOT RECOMMENDED THEODORE “TED” LONDON (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 1 A) BONITA COLEMAN JOHN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 3 – Carmody, Jr.) ALLEN F. MURPHY (D) QUALIFIED PETER M. KRAMER (D) NOT RECOMMENDED THOMAS G. O’BRIEN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED STEVEN G. WATKINS (D) QUALIFIED CHARLES FRANCIS FITZGERALD (D) QUALIFIED DANIELA SILAIDES (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 3 – Darcy) EDWARD HARMENING (D) QUALIFIED JAMES PATRICK DORAN (D) QUALIFIED THOMAS J. MURPHY (D) QUALIFIED DAVID J. COLEMAN (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 3 – A) DANIEL MALONE (D) QUALIFIED RONALD JOSEPH HURLEY (D) NOT RECOMMENDED MARY MCNAMARA (D) NOT RECOMMENDED BERNADETTE MCNICHOLAS (D) QUALIFIED PAMELA COTTEN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 9 – Otaka) ABBEY FISHMAN ROMANEK (D) QUALIFIED YEHUDA LEBOVITS (D) QUALIFIED GEARY W. KULL (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED DENNIS MICHAEL FLEMING (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 9-A) STEVEN JAMES “STEVE” BERNSTEIN (D) NOT RECOMMENDED MICHAEL IAN BENDER (D) QUALIFIED JEFFREY DOV GREENSPAN (D) QUALIFIED WILLIAM JOSEPH LUBY (D) QUALIFIED SCOTT BAGNALL (D) NOT RECOMMENDED MARY S. TREW (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 11 – Riley) STEVEN J. FRUTH (D) QUALIFIED MARITZA MARTINEZ (D) QUALIFIED ANN FINLEY COLLINS (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED PAMELA MCLEAN MEYERSON (D) QUALIFIED JOHN MICHAEL LAGATTUTA (D) QUALIFIED PAMELA M. LEEMING (D) QUALIFIED THOMAS DAVID BILYK (D) QUALIFIED LISA A. MARINO (D) QUALIFIED EUGENE JOSEPH BERKES (D) QUALIFIED KIM R. KARDAS (D) QUALIFIED JOHN W. CHWARZYNSKI (D) NOT RECOMMENDED RADUSA OSTOJIC (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 14 A) DANIEL JAMES PIERCE (D) HIGHLY QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 15 -Lipinski) LINZEY D. JONES (D) QUALIFIED FRANK JAMES RYAN (D) QUALIFIED PAT FLANAGAN (D) QUALIFIED NICHOLAS W. KARAS (D) NOT RECOMMENDED RICHARD G. KARWACZKA (D) NOT RECOMMENDED KARLA MARIE FIAONI (D) QUALIFIED MICHAEL BRENDAN BARRETT (D) QUALIFIED JOAN MARIE G. KUBALANZA (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 15 – Panichi) GEORGE F. SCULLY (D) QUALIFIED MARY THERESE QUINN (D) QUALIFIED MICHAEL T. HUGUELET (D) QUALIFIED PETER A. FERA (D) QUALIFIED FOR JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY (Subcircuit 15 Phelan) JOHN C. GRIFFIN (D) QUALIFIED CARL EVANS, JR. (D) QUALIFIED NICHOLE C. PATTON (D) NOT RECOMMENDED THOMAS “TJ” SOMER (D) QUALIFIED MARY BETH KENT DUFFY (D) NOT RECOMMENDED