Click here to view our brochures
 

VoteForJudges.org Gives Voters the Information They Need To Make An Informed Decision When Judging The Judges On The November Election Ballot

Run by Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, VoteForJudges.org serves as one source where voters can go to find out how lawyers and other organizations rate the qualifications of the judges seeking retention this election.

When it comes to voting, many people are simply uniformed about the qualifications of judges seeking re-election. Before heading to the polls for the November 2, 2010 election, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice (Chicago Appleseed), wants to encourage voters to take the time to educate themselves on the qualifications of the judges seeking retention by visiting: VoteForJudges.org. Over a dozen different Chicago-area bar associations have evaluated the candidates in judicial elections with the hope that Chicago-area attorneys might be able to provide the public insight into the candidates. This will be the first year that the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County – established by Chicago Appleseed in cooperation with Chicago Council of Lawyers and made up of lawyers and non-lawyers - will release its own evaluations along with recommendations. 

Every day judges in Cook County make decisions that affect nearly all aspects of our lives from divorce and traffic tickets to broader issues affecting community development, housing, public benefits and business decisions. On November 2, 2010, the voting public will have the power to decide which of 70 judges running for re-election should remain on the bench. The number is daunting, but voters can find helpful, nonpartisan information about these judges and judicial candidates online at: www.VoteForJudges.org - a program run by Chicago Appleseed. Visitors will find sample ballots that they can take with them into the polling booths, media reports, and the evaluations by bar groups.

"It’s extremely important for the voting public to know which judges are – and perhaps more importantly – are not qualified to remain on the bench, " said Malcolm Rich, Executive Director of   Chicago Appleseed. “VoteForJudges.org is voters' nonpartisan, online guide to the judicial portion of the ballot.”

Since 2004, Chicago Appleseed has been working hard to help voters understand the judicial election process and provide the voting public with the information they need in order to make an informed decision as to whether or not a judge should remain on the bench. The goal is to provide citizens with a broad range of perspectives from organizations that evaluate the candidates on a variety of factors such as fairness, legal competence, integrity, knowledge of the law, judicial temperament, impartiality, and professional conduct.

By voting for qualified judges, the public can help protect the courts. Voteforjudges.org believes that the public has a right and a responsibility to know about the qualifications of judges and is dedicated to informing voters, in a nonpartisan way, of the qualifications of people running for judge.

At VoteForJudges.org, visitors can find the following useful information: 

·        Non-partisan, judicial evaluation and recommendation results from the members of the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, the Chicago Bar Association, Chicago Council of Lawyers, North Suburban Bar Coalition, and the newly formed Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County.

·        Sample ballot from the Committee to Elect Qualified Judges that can be taken into polling booths.

·        Judicial evaluation charts & information on the individual candidates

·        Information and recommendations from newspapers and other publications.

VoteForJudges.org wants voters to know that they have the power to ensure that only qualified judges are retained to make decisions that will affect them, their families and their communities. 

You be the judge! Educate yourself before you vote. Visit: www.VoteForJudges.org to learn about the judges making decisions that affect your life.

We anticipate that judicial evaluation results will start becoming available around September 15^th.  Thanks for your interest in voteforjudges.org.

###

About Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice

Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice promotes social justice and government effectiveness by identifying injustice in our community, investigating its causes and finding effective solutions.  Chicago Appleseed is part of a national network of public interest law centers working through and with Appleseed in Washington, D.C. We focus on issues ranging from fair criminal justice systems to equal access in financial institutions. For more information, please visit: www.chicagoappleseed.org or call: 312.988.6565

About VoteforJudges.org

Voteforjudges.org is a project of the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice dedicated to providing voter education for the upcoming judicial elections.  Information on individuals running for judgeships or retention is gathered by lawyers and bar groups using interviews with the candidates themselves as well as examining their prior experience and temperament.  Voteforjudges.org then provides that information in an easily accessible, user-friendly format on the website.  The website also includes links to sample ballots that can be printed and carried into the voting booth.