ILLINOIS—Ordinarily we here at Disclosure eschew judicial retention.
But this year, there are several names on the ballot, particularly in the First and Second Judicial Circuits, whom we recommend for retention.
We know that’s a departure for us. Ordinarily, we preach “Vote NO to Retain,” every other year, every time there’s a judge up for retention (in the circuits, judges are seated for six years upon election and must be retained each six years. In the supreme court race, it’s every ten years). In the local races, we recommend Saline Judge Walden Morris, Williamson County Judges Philip Palmer and Randy Moore, and Joe Leberman of Pope County, all in the First Circuit. In the Second Circuit, we recommend all judges up for retention: Barry Vaughan of Hamilton County, Tom Foster of Gallatin County, David Overstreet of Jefferson County and Tom Tedeschi of Franklin County.
But we’re not here to talk about circuit judges tonight. We’re here to talk about the Illinois Supreme Court, and one of the justices up for retention there after ten years, Lloyd Karmeier.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier
Originally of Washington County, Illinois, Karmeier is a graduate of Okawville High School, the University of Champaign where he received his law schooling, he clerked in the federal court system and state court system, and was in private practice for a few years before running for state’s attorney in Washington County. When a judicial vacancy came up in that circuit, and Karmeier ran and won. He was retained and during his time on the bench there, was one of the highest-rated/recommended judges in the 20th Circuit—a tough one, which includes Monroe, Perry, Randolph and St. Clair counties (St. Clair being one of the “judicial hellhole” counties in southwestern Illinois and includes also Madison).
Karmeier is a justice noted for having one of the most expensive campaigns in the history of the state of Illinois, this in 2004 when he was running on the Republican ticket against Gordon Maag on the Dem side. There was a lot of contention back then for that race. However, nothing like the type of contention we’re seeing now for retention of his seat.
Received in the mail today at the farm in Calhoun
Why?
Very simple: Money.
These fliers tell you to vote “no” to retain Karmeier. They tell you he’s let child molesters go with a slap on the wrist; that he gave “easy bail” to a woman later found guilty of murdering her toddler son. They compare his “level of corruption” to that of George Ryan (you can see ol George’s face on the bottom flier, held by my model for this photo shoot, Ang).
And all of it is spin. All. Of. It.
We’ve chronicled judges giving child molesters slaps on the wrist (what happened to Greg Bright in Clay County in 2005 is but one). They do it within statutory guidelines and oftentimes because in aggravating/mitigating circumstances, that’s where the punishment falls. And Karmeier (along with any other judge) can’t possibly know that a person is going to “later be found guilty of murder.” If they could tell that, they wouldn’t be circuit judges; they’d be filthy friggin rich because they can tell the future.
These are extremely disingenuous spins on reality. And we’re telling you right now in the areas where they’re saturating—Richland, Edwards, Lawrence, Clay, Jasper, Wabash, all places that might not be familiar with what went on in the 20th Circuit in the 1990s (yes, that’s how far back these jerks are digging)—don’t fall for it.
Let us tell you why.
There are several law firms who have POURED literally MILLIONS of dollars into the vote no to retain campaign against Karmeier: Korien, Tillery (George Zelcs and Christine Moody), Power Law Firm and Clifford Law Firm, all in Chicago; and one in South Carolina and one in Mississippi. All totaled, they’ve racked up $1.9 MILLION into the anti-Karmeier campaign, and it’s anticipated that by election day, that’ll top $2 mil.
Why the latter? What the hell would SC and MS want with an Illinois Supreme Court justice and seeing him off the bench?
They all have interest in a couple of major cases Karmeier and the other justices are deciding, pending Phillip Morris (tobacco) and State Farm cases. These are huge suits; and, for the $2 mil investment, it’s anticipated that if the cases are decided in favor of the litigants these law firms are representing, they will win a total of TWO BILLION. That’s dollars. And the cut for the firms is a whole lot MORE than what they’ve put into the anti-Karmeier campaign.
And that’s just sick. Because there’s a tagline being used that “Justice shouldn’t be for sale” being used by these repulsive anti-Karmeier ads. Yet that’s exactly what they’re perpetrating: Funding getting Karmeier out, so that when the rest of the Supreme Court justices go to appoint someone to replace him, they’ll appoint someone “more favorable” to the law firms and their litigants. Typical Illinois politics, reaching the highest court in the state.
But it gets worse.
Currently the Supreme Court is fairly even, with four Democrat justices and three Republicans, Karmeier being one of the latter. The likelihood that a Dem will be appointed is a good one. That leans the numbers 5-2…and that’s bad, simply because of the power structure in the state. Mike Madigan, speaker of the house, has Dem control of the legislature and that’s not expected to end any time soon. The executive branch is currently Dem-controlled (Gov. Pat Quinn) and that might actually prevail in the election. So if the anti-Karmeiers can get this justice off the bench…the Dems will hold sway in the judiciary too. All three branches. And Illinois is pretty much screwed as it is right now, with years of digging out of Dem control and the damage they’ve done the last several years even if all Republicans sweep the election next Tuesday. This just can’t happen…and it’s up to you to ensure that it doesn’t.
That said, what has Karmeier DONE for southern Illinois and the state as a whole?
That’s another post for another day, and we’re going to give it to you…in the morning. Be looking for that post…and watch your ballots when you go to vote. Contrary to the previous “vote ‘no’ to retain” campaign we’ve been running, our research is showing that we’d all better vote YES to retain Karmeier this go. There are very important issues at stake…and you need to know about them. Check with us in the morning.