Judges, politics coexist in Cook

From The Chicago Tribune:

Judges, politics coexist in Cook

By Mickey Ciokajlo
Tribune staff reporter
Published November 1, 2002

Cook County's intertwined worlds of politics and the judiciary will be on display at the back of the ballot in next week's election.

There's the former clerk of the Circuit Court who wants to be an appellate justice. The Illinois Labor Relations Board member, and wife of the former chief of staff to outgoing House Minority Leader Lee Daniels, who's running in the north suburbs. And in the south suburbs, there's Sheriff Michael Sheahan's chief of operations who also happens to be his third cousin.

In a state where the debate over whether it's better to elect or appoint judges plays like a broken record every campaign season, voters should expect that some candidates will have deep political ties, experts said. Indeed, Cook County's chief judge is a former Chicago alderman and mayoral candidate.

"In a place like Cook County where the judiciary itself is so large that it's compartmentalized, it really is possible to get on-the-job training," said Steven Lubet, a law professor at Northwestern University. "What you're really looking for in candidates are knowledge, judgment and compassion."

In the only contested countywide judicial race, former Circuit Court Clerk Aurelia Pucinski is competing against Judge James Fitzgerald Smith for a seat on the Illinois Appellate Court.

Both received mixed reviews from bar associations. The Chicago Bar Association said Pucinski "possesses the requisite legal knowledge and ability" to serve on the Appellate Court, but the Chicago Council of Lawyers rated her "not qualified" because of a lack of trial and litigation experience.

Pucinski, 55, who this summer was named director of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, said her work ethic, sense of fairness and open mind outweigh her lack of courtroom experience.

Smith, 59, was appointed a Cook County judge in 1989 and currently serves in the Skokie courthouse.

While the Chicago Bar called him hardworking and knowledgeable, the Council of Lawyers raised concerns about his temperament and lack of legal writings. Smith said he is "tested and seasoned," and knows courtroom procedures.

In an odd political twist, Smith is running as a Democrat although he was previously elected in 1994 as a Republican. Pucinski, who once was a Democrat, is now a Republican.

In another race that highlights candidates with strong political backgrounds, the 15th subcircuit in the south and southwest suburbs pits a high-ranking sheriff's official against a former state representative and village mayor.

Jim Ryan, who is no relation to the Republican of the same name running for governor, is Sheahan's director of operations. Ryan, 36, worked in the state's attorney's office primarily on domestic violence cases before going to work for the sheriff in 1995. He is the sheriff's third cousin.

"I wanted to be a judge ever since I was a kid. I loved the law," said Ryan, who declined to be evaluated by the bar groups. "I love the courtroom."

Ryan's Republican opponent is John Doody, 57, a former state representative and mayor of Homewood. Now primarily a transactional lawyer, Doody received high marks from bar groups, with the Chicago Council of Lawyers citing his "reputation for high integrity and excellent legal knowledge and ability."

In the 12th subcircuit in the north and northwest suburbs, Judge James Wascher is the first Democrat to appear on the judicial ticket in a decade.

Wascher, 49, who was appointed to the bench last year, said shifting demographics as well as voters seeking the most qualified candidate could give him the edge. He received high marks from bar groups. The Republican candidate, Sandra Tristano, 51, received most mostly poor ratings.

Tristano was appointed by Gov. George Ryan to the Illinois Labor Relations Board in 2000. She previously spent eight years as the general counsel to Pace, the suburban bus service. Tristano's husband, Michael, stepped down last year as Daniels' chief of staff and is now a member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

Running for retention in Cook County are Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Ann McMorrow, Appellate Court Justice Robert Cahill and 61 circuit judges.

McMorrow and Cahill have received high marks across the board while six circuit judges have been "not recommended" by at least half of the bar groups. They are James T. Ryan, James J. Jorzak, Charles M. Travis, Vanessa A. Hopkins, Judy I. Mitchell-Davis and Loretta Carol Douglas.

The various ratings can be found at the following Web sites: www.chicagobar.org, www.chicagocouncil.org and www.isba.org.