Circus Has Moved To St. Clair County

Let's see, the New Year ... (Happy New Year, by the way) ... the New Year is about 24 hours old, maybe 36 or 40 depending upon when you read this, and we haven't seen one news item in Illinois about asbestos, class actions, inappropriate venues or judicial impropriety or questionable practices.

Oops ... strike that last one.

As you'll read in some recent news items and editorials, you'll discover that judges, judicial conduct, questionable political connections and questionable judicial AND political connections are on the front pages, and on the editorial pages.

The judicial circus that seemed to be based in Madison County for years has moved south, to St. Clair County.

It has been said that people get the government they deserve. That certainly applies to the judiciary too and St. Clair County residents -- at least the voting residents -- had the chance to make some changes in the judiciary two months ago but chose not to do so.

Almost 75% of the voters voted to retain a chief judge who is currently not acting as chief judge because he was involved in a motor vehicle accident in which alcohol may have played a part. He wasn't driving but a fellow judge -- who had been unopposed in his November election (78,000 voted for him) was driving and has been charged with driving under the influence.

The temporary chief judge appointed as "special prosecutor" a politically-connected lawyer and friend who himself had pleaded guilty to a DUI charge -- and had been found not guilty on a second charge.

We're not using names here; you can read them in the news accounts. We've been subpoenaed and sued (twice) in the Metro East area, including most recently (perhaps) in St. Clair County. So we're not going to write anything that can be read elsewhere.

But we hope the Belleville News-Democrat keeps the bright spotlight on St. Clair County judges and we encourage the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to turn up the heat. Both papers have large readership in St. Clair and they can help disinfect the Courthouse.

We'd also like to hear an expression of concern -- if not outrage -- from one prominent St. Clair County attorney who happens to be the current president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Original Post by Ed Murnane at Illinois Justice Blog.