Illinois Supreme Court Commentary

Written by Laurie Shoulterkarall, Budlong Woods

I have written, When you vote in the Nov 8 elections, please make sure to also vote for Supreme Court judges!, one hundred times on postcards to be mailed to people I have never met. I did this because I believe that people must cast an informed vote for judges, especially in these mid-term elections. If you remember civics class, you know that there are three branches of government, the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Circuit Court judges serve for six years and hear cases from traffic tickets, child custody and support, civil rights, and criminal cases. In 2018, the Illinois Appellate Court judges, who serve ten-year terms, reviewed 3,000 criminal and civil cases. The Supreme Court of Illinois rules on lower court cases, as well as overseeing attorneys and creating court rules. These judges also serve ten-year terms.

But most people don’t know who these judges are until they appear before them. Many voters skip the judicial section on ballots or vote based on political party affiliation, ethnicity, or gender without considering their individual records especially on the bench. There are resources that are generally neutral that you can review including the Illinois State Bar Association which uses twelve criteria to rate judges, or VoteforJudges.org, which aggregates several bar associations, as well as The Chicago Bar Association. While our legislators can make laws, our judges apply those laws and protect our rights. In making informed choices when you vote, you can uphold the victories that have been made on behalf of workers, women, and the climate.