The CBA Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) invites you to view its evaluations of candidates running to fill vacancies on the Appellate and Circuit Courts in the upcoming general election to be held on November 8, 2022. (Chicago Tribune), A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Nor have we joined the more recent chorus arguing that Alvarez's handling of the Laquan McDonald case disqualifies her from office. The mayor said Lausch assured her an influx of law enforcement would be working collaboratively with Chicago cops against violent crime. ], [[Dont miss] See how candidates for governor answered our questions plus who the Tribune Editorial Board endorsed], [[Dont miss] Editorial: 175 years of editorials and counting]. But, year after year, hundreds of young people are slaughtered in those communities by stone-cold killers who should be ostracized and punished. All rights reserved, Michigan Businessman Perry Johnson Launches Long-Shot 2024 Presidential Bid, Black Vietnam Veteran Finally Honored With Medal of Honor, New Ranking Names Most Expensive Cities In Illinois and These Chicago Suburbs Top the List, Chicago Suburb Lands on List of Happiest Places to Live,' Another Midwest City Makes Top 10, Chicago-Area Counties Under Winter Storm Advisories and Warnings, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. Since Lausch took over, his office has charged more than 80 reputed gang members under the federal racketeering statute, which brings hefty mandatory minimum sentences and in some cases can carry the death penalty. He also faced criticism over not acknowledging the effects of prolonged school closures, which the board said is likely tied to the support he receives from the Chicago Teachers Union. Sean Suiter. In the end, it was Pfannkuche who persuaded us to endorse Foxx. racketeering case against Chicago Ald. We think Foxx, by contrast, in time would rebuild the public's trust, the editorial board wrote. Paul Vallas touted his first endorsement Thursday since winning the initial round of voting in the Chicago mayoral election: that of longtime former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. 74th District: Liandro Li Arellano, Jr. 17th District: Elizabeth Liz Doody Gorman. But the top job of state's attorney involves many other skills: judgment about law enforcement priorities and conduct; frank and comfortable communication with the public; administration of a big and vital office that, like all of county government, will have to get smaller as pension costs crush budgets. Read candidate questionnaires and see other endorsements atchicagotribune.com/candidates. Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune GOP Harris County judge candidate contesting her loss after Election Day problems at polling sites by Patrick Svitek and Pooja Salhotra Updated: Jan. 6, 2023. He also sued Pritzker after the governor, responding to a question at a news conference about DeVores legal challenges to his pandemic mandates, called DeVore a grifter. DeVore dropped the lawsuit in March, as he mounted his primary campaign for attorney general. We like the commitment to consent decree implementation that Raouls office has shown. Click here to download a PDF of our bedsheet ballot, which lists all of the candidates the editorial board is endorsing in the general election. She spent 12 years as an assistant state's attorney, mostly in juvenile court, and served as chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Yet she hasn't adequately explained why she didn't charge the officer who shot McDonald until 13 months after the killing even though she says she had decided some time earlier to accuse him of first-degree murder. Even among those who did not support him politically, he engendered trust during some of the darkest hours in the history of this great state. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the U.S. attorneys office in Chicago, Lausch said in a written statement. Endorsement: For state Senate, support incumbents Polsky and Berman. Thats when police began pursuing him, and shots were exchanged at close range between the suspect and Vasquez-Lasso, Brown said. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The public has demanded urgency and new approaches from everyone involved in trying to stop the killings. Read part two of the Tribunes endorsements for Illinois Senate here. That includes the office of Illinois attorney general. And she had worked as chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, helping administer a $4 billion budget. As the candidates for Cook County state's attorney debated the handling of the Laquan McDonald case before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Feb. 4, 2016, incumbent Anita Alvarez defended her investigation, saying, "I don't believe any mistakes were made." Following Mass, the Rev. Under Lightfoot's leadership, thefts, burglaries and robberies increased in high numbers especially between 2022 and 2023 while her relationship with the teachers' union turned . This week, Chicago Tribune reported its endorsements in the March 20 Illinois primary election. It makes more sense for voters to try and figure out which candidate will best improve this most customer-service oriented of public offices. That she could explain to them why cooperating with cops and prosecutors in finding and convicting the bad guys can curtail the bloodshed that takes so many of their children's lives.. Late Thursday, authorities charged Steven Montano, 18, of 2500 block of South Lawndale, with first-degree murder, weapons charges and interfering with a domestic violence report. He was nominated by Trump after Durbin and Duckworth aided the White House in the search. Courthouse in Chicago after verdicts were reached in the trial of singer R. Kelly. In the months since the release of that breathtaking video of McDonald crumpling onto a street, many among us have come to better understand why so many law-abiding Chicagoans distrust the criminal justice system here. Kim Foxx is challenging Anita Alvarez in the March primary race for Cook County state's attorney. He is currently overseeing a number of high-profile investigations, including the racketeering case against Chicago Ald. A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Retired from the US Department of Labor as Appellate Administrative Judge. What's more frustrating is that she doesn't seem to think she could have performed better. That includes the office of Illinois attorney general. The . The Tribune advocates for personal liberty, opportunity and enterprise, for free markets, free will and freedom of expression. But that doesn't mean Alvarez has handled her subsequent role in the case well. COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT- CALLAHAN, JR. We gather and pray for everyone.. There's heightened public scrutiny of street stops, arrests, charging decisions, judges who slow-walk cases, and insufficient state penalties for repeat gun offenders the list goes on. Former Kane County prosecutor Jamie Mosser has decided to run for Kane County state's attorney in the 2020 election. She has been endorsed by her former boss, Preckwinkle, and the county Democratic organization, the endorsement reads. He is well respected in the legal community, and we believe he would be able to recruit and retain skilled prosecutors while developing a relationship with the police that strikes the appropriate balance between partnership and accountability. [Dont miss] Whats an endorsement, and why does the Tribune Editorial Board do them? In 2021, Raoul responded to the rise in organized retail crime by creating a statewide task force that improved dialogue among law enforcement, retailers, online marketplaces and states attorneys to help crack down on organized retail theft rings. At the same time, we have to acknowledge that she did not have the evidence to sustain the heavy charges she brought against the officers in the Gray case; her assertion that she would do nothing differently if given the chance is simply bizarre given the trials outcomes. [Dont miss] Election 2022: What Illinois races do you care most about and what issues are important to you? Ahead of her confirmation hearing scheduled Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by U.S. Sen. Some well-known lawyers in the region are going to bat for Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, President Joe Bidens nominee for the 7th U.S. We want a state's attorney who'll focus on police misconduct, fairness to defendants and incarceration rates of the guilty. Most recently, the leader of the West Sides notoriously violent Wicked Town gang faction was convicted along with an associate on racketeering charges involving a string of murders, shootings, robberies, beatings and other violence going back two decades. Together, we mourn the loss of our hero, the Police Department said in a statement. Beyond a polite hello in the elevator, prosecutors should be fiercely independent of politicians, especially those who sign off on their budget. We can do both.. Of the Houses 118 seats, 78 feature contested races. Police eventually curbed the car, and the suspect and two others ran away, the report alleged. Read the full editorial here. The driver of the vehicle has been charged with felony counts of illegal gun possession, and the case is still pending., Vallas told reporters on Thursday that Foxxs office is not getting serious with the gun crimes.. Pfannkuche would need a No. Its seven justices serve 10-year terms, with three of the justices chosen by Cook County voters. Democratic voters so disapproved of how the current state's attorney, Anita Alvarez, handled the Laquan McDonald case that they rejected her primary election bid for a third four-year term. The clear and present dangers of intrusion from county pols run from patronage to policy to principle. TAKE THIS WITH YOU to the voting booth. But not his teammates. State Sen. Emil Jones III is the latest. We endorse William Tong as attorney general. An early voting location at the Loop Super Site on June 23, 2022. We also credit her assertion that her offices job of prosecuting violent criminals has been made much more difficult by a period of intense turmoil in the Baltimore Police Department. For the list of sitting judges asking to be retained, nearly every one of them is recommended for retention by the three major judicial rating groups. I want to thank John for his tremendous stewardship of the office, and I wish him well in his future endeavors., Joseph Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Chicago, has previously said Lauschs exit had been in the works since last year, and that he will be taking some time off before considering career options.. Given that the county has more 800 governmental units, thats a crucial quality that voters must keep in mind. We believe Ivan Bates is that person. We endorse a no vote. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. She's given plenty of thought to the suspicions and hostilities that have animated metropolitan Chicago since the McDonald case erupted in the public consciousness a year ago. This primary election is critical for the direction of pro-family issues in Illinois, and the attorney general is a key office to protecting families' freedoms of choice in education, religion, and life. Kim, who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2010 and then as gubernatorial candidate Dan Rutherford's lieutenant governor running mate in their losing primary race in 2014 . He faces bribery charges in connection with the states notorious red-light camera scandal, and has entered a not guilty plea. Instead, she styles herself as Baltimores chief advocate and prime mover for law enforcement reform, but that job actually belongs to the federal consent decree monitoring team. In the post, DeVore wrote, Lord help us with the window lickers, I mean special children. After the post was widely shared, DeVore filed a libel suit in 2017 against three people, alleging they had falsely accused him of ridiculing children with special needs. Read the full editorial here. An active and mostly-GOP push is underway to unseat him by asking voters to say No to his retention. At this time in this county, Foxx is best suited to be that voice. Note: This list is. He once griped in a Facebook post about an episode at a basketball game in which students struggled to give him correct change at a concession stand, the Tribune reported last month. She was elected twice to be the people's lawyer the prosecutor tasked to convict criminals and, when appropriate, put them away. Following the main prayer, a group of about 20 people formed a circle, grasped a long, bright blue streamer and held a light. John Lausch has served the citizens with magnificent distinction, Pasqual said in the written release. On Thursday morning, about 100 people walked the two blocks from St. Gall Catholic Church in Gage Park, paying their respects at the block where Chicago police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso was shot and killed Wednesday. When Democrat Kwame Raoul took over as state attorney general in January 2019, we hoped he would chart a different course and assume a larger role in going after corruption. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Nine sitting or. A rosary is among the items filling a memorial for slain Chicago police Officer Andrs Mauricio Vsquez Lasso along the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue, March 3, 2023. She didnt tell Darryl De Sousa not to file his taxes. Both incumbent judges, Aurelia Marie Pucinski and Mary Katherine Rochford, are recommended YES for retention. The board said that progressive voters could find a formidable candidate in Ald. Under Frerichs, Bright Start has gone from one of the nations worst-rated college savings programs to one of the best it has gotten a Gold rating from independent investment analysis firm Morningstar for five successive years. And this is a way from a federal law enforcement standpoint that we can make an impact.. That means the top two vote-getters advance to an April 4 runoff. Baltimores states attorney also must be held accountable, and we believe it is time for a change in that office. In the large field of eight Democratic candidates running for Illinois attorney general, Sharon Fairley has now received the endorsement of both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune. That will mean building connections and trust between people in law enforcement and the impoverished communities where criminals prey on innocents. The Chicago Tribune endorsed former State Sen. Paul Schimpf in the race. Raouls goal isnt to usurp the work of federal prosecutors, who have ably gone after a vast array of public officials on corruption charges, most notably Michael Madigan. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune), Chicago police officers place blue ribbons on trees outside District 8 Chicago Lawn Police Station on March 2, 2023, in honor of police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso who was fatally shot the night before. We trust that she could connect with people in those violence-ravaged communities. CHICAGO Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx issued a statement Thursday addressing the criminal history of the 18-year-old suspected of killing Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso on Wednesday as . Over the last two years, drivers heading north on Elston Avenue in Chicago, to cite one example, could see a snaking line of freezing Chicagoans, just trying to make it inside to get their plates renewed. That office is the General Assemblys watchdog, but lawmakers had weakened the IGs powers to a point where one-time Inspector General Carol Pope called her office a paper tiger.. In the interim, Lauschs deputy, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Morris Sonny Pasqual, will serve as acting U.S. attorney, believed to be the first Black person to ever have that role. Heres the first installment of the Tribune Editorial Boards endorsements for Illinois House contests. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Lauschs exit comes just days before the trial of the so-called ComEd Four gets underway at the Dirksen U.S. Jun 16 2022. chicago tribune state's attorney endorsement And if that piece of Duckworths remarkable biography was not daunting enough, she was the first woman with a disability to be elected to Congress, and then became the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office, following the birth of her second daughter, Maile, in 2018. In the primary election held on June 28, voters selected Republican and Democratic . (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune). Yet we endorse one of her challengers, Kim Foxx, in the Democratic primary for state's attorney.. If we could choose one of the three candidates in this race to prosecute a murder case in a courtroom tomorrow, we'd choose Alvarez for her depth of experience there. The paper also expounds on the need for the next states attorney to serve as a bridge between crime-riddled communities and law enforcement. The defendant, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was not charged with a felony because the evidence does not support a charge of gun possession for this offender. In this first slate of endorsements, most of the contested seats are longtime Democratic strongholds in Chicago, as gerrymandered to serve incumbents, and few are likely to be close races. Thursdays statement from Foxxs office said prosecutors offered community service as an alternative to traditional prosecution due to the facts of the case. He can shoot it., Justin Steele and 6 Chicago Cubs relievers combine for the 1st spring training no-hitter in franchise history, Leah Palmer experiences grand time as Geneva grinds out victory in Class 4A third-place game. Raoul shares our concerns. Christopher Pfannkuche will run unopposed on the Republican ticket. Tribune reporters Jeremy Gorner, Paige Fry, Rosemary Sobol, Deanease Williams-Harris and Shanzeh Ahmad contributed. Assistant State's Attorneys and support staff vigorously prosecute crimes committed in the County and provide extensive services to victims and witnesses. CHICAGO Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx issued a statement Thursday addressing the criminal history of the 18-year-old suspected of killing Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso on Wednesday. Paul Vallas touted his first endorsement Thursday since winning the initial round of voting in the Chicago mayoral election: that of longtime former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. A nominee of Republican President Donald Trump, Lausch was originally asked by the incoming Biden administration to step down from his post in 2021 along with other Trump holdovers. But not his teammates. Raoul pledges to expand the attorney generals jurisdiction over corruption cases, and Illinoisans should hold him to that pledge. Today we endorse Kim Foxx for the same good reasons, and with the same two concerns, as we did before the primary. Contact, who can i contact at the ohio attorney general about queen of hearts, what is the name of the prosecuting attorney in guernsey county ohio, how can i be power of attorney over my mother inlaw, who is thedeputy state's attorney anne arundel county, how to prepare for a meeting with estate attorney?trackid=sp-006, what does submit a review in an attorney page, who does chicago tribune endorse for attorney general. The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police threw its support Thursday behind Patrick O'Brien, the Republican candidate running to unseat embattled Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. In addition to ruling on cases appealed from the lower courts, the Supreme Court appoints judges to fill vacancies, creates rules that courts must follow, and oversees attorney licensing and discipline. Durbin vs. Curran, Black, Malouf and Wilson: 10 questions for the candidates for U.S. Senate. David Shestokas gets our endorsement for Illinois Attorney General. Former Secretary of State Jesse White, left, shakes hands with mayoral candidate Paul Vallas after announcing his endorsement for Vallas, March 2, 2023, in Chicago. U.S. Attorney John Lausch, center, prepares to speak to reporters on Sept. 14, 2022, at the Dirksen U.S. That is not the entirety of this job. She's had a much better view than most people of how the Independent Police Review Authority doesn't work, and she has known for quite some time that police videos often, or always, didn't have audio. Whenever an act of violence occurs in the neighborhood, he said, he tries to visit the location with churchgoers. Foxx, a Chicago native, served as an assistant Cook County states attorney for 12 years and has emerged as a viable replacement for embattled incumbent Anita Alvarez. The board added that incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot is their second choice and the candidate they feel should face Vallas in a potential runoff election. She worked well with a politically diverse County Board, and we think she can be a bridge to the bloodied communities that are most alienated from the criminal justice system. All candidates for Illinois judicial offices in the March 20 primary election have been rated by Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) evaluation committees, or in a poll conducted by ISBA. Chicago's mayoral candidates want to fix the unreliable, unsafe and downright filthy CTA. When we wrote about this case before the March primary, we said that if we could choose one of the three Democrats in that race to prosecute a murder case, we'd choose Alvarez for her courtroom experience. ]. If the treasurer is Illinois primary investment manager, the comptroller is the states main bill payer, with control over Springfields checking account. Kim Foxx is challenging Anita Alvarez in the March primary race for Cook County state's attorney. Later in the day, lawmakers in Springfield paused for a moment of silence. Here are the Chicago Tribune endorsements in the Illinois primary Tuesday. The former Cook County assistant state's attorney, Navy veteran and son of the billionaire co-founder of The Carlyle Group private . Depending where you live, there are two contested vacancies: one in the 12th subcircuit and one in the 13th subcircuit. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. The board added that Vallas will be expected to use experience gained as Mayor Richard M. Daley's budget director from 1990 to 1993 in tightening city finances. The State's Attorney Office works to uphold public safety through the fair and efficient administration of justice.