Bar associations weigh in on retention judges

By Pat Milhizer
Law Bulletin staff writer
October 09, 2008  Volume: 154 Issue: 199

Three major bar associations have identified a few judges they think voters shouldn't retain in next month's election, but only one judge has received a thumbs-down on all three lists.

Circuit Judge Casandra Lewis , who has been licensed to practice since 1991 and was elected to the bench in 2002, is ''not recommended'' for retention by the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Council of Lawyers.

In its written evaluation, the CBA indicates that Lewis ''has problems in a number of areas'' that include ''starting her call on time and diligently carrying out her duties on the bench.''

The CBA evaluation report states that Lewis ''needs to improve her work ethic and was less than respectful of the bar associations' peer review process.''

In its report, the CCL notes that Lewis ''has adequate legal ability for her current assignment and is praised for her temperament.'' But the judge gets ''mixed reviews'' for her work ethic, the CCL said, because attorneys complain that she is neither punctual nor prepared.

''The Council has received reports that some lawyers will take a substitution of judge rather than appear before her,'' the CCL report says. The ISBA doesn't release written reviews of candidates.

Lewis could not be reached for comment Thursday morning through a phone call to her Daley Center office. She did gain favorable ratings from the Asian American Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Cook County Bar Association and the Suburban Bar Coalition.

Other judges not recommended by the CBA are Anthony Lynn Burrell, Evelyn B. Clay and Vanessa A. Hopkins. In addition to Lewis, the ISBA didn't recommend Shelli D. Williams-Hayes, Carol Pearce McCarthy and Edward N. Pietrucha.

The CCL had the longest list of rejections of the three associations, and the group's list named Kathleen M. McGury, Gerald C. Bender, Clay, Williams-Hayes, Hopkins, Pietrucha, Janet Adams Brosnahan and Valarie E. Turner.

In all, 68 Cook County circuit judges are up for retention on Nov. 4. In order to be retained, the candidates must receive 60 percent of the vote from those who answer the retention question.

No Cook County judge has been voted off the bench since 1990.

Concerning appellate justices up for retention, Michael J. Gallagher and Margaret Stanton McBride received approvals from the CBA, ISBA, CCL and seven other associations.

Many judges received across-the-board approval from various bar groups, and that distinction includes Thomas E. Flanagan, Michael P. Toomin, Richard J. Elrod, Themis N. Karnezis, Edmund Ponce de Leon, Lewis M. Nixon and Raul Vega. Currently, Toomin and Karnezis are assigned to the appellate court.

Circuit Judge Sheila McGinnis also received approval from 10 bar associations. In its reports, the CBA and CCL mention the pending charges against McGinnis for a driving under the influence arrest in May, but both organizations list her as ''qualified.''

For a complete list of rankings by 10 area bar associations, visit www.voteforjudges.org.

The CBA and CCL written explanations are available at www.chicagobar.org and www.chicagocouncil.org, respectively.

Before the election, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin will release a chart showing all the rankings by the various bar associations.

Copyright © 2008, Law Bulletin Publishing Company