Editorial: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES ENDORSEMENTS

Our choices for judges

January 27, 2008

Cook County prosecutors. Public defenders. Private attorneys. These are the backgrounds of some vying to become judges in what can be costly contests. We think that judges should be elected on merit, and not on the size of their war chests or who their political backers are. There are many races, and we highlight here several of the most competitive contests followed by a list of all our judicial endorsements.

Judge of the Circuit Court (Nowicki vacancy): Two candidates stand out -- Brian Terrence Sexton and Michael B. Hyman. Judge Hyman is the former president of the Chicago Bar Association, worked as an assistant Illinois attorney general in the anti-trust division and then went into private practice for more than 25 years. Sexton is the supervisor in the state's attorney's gang crime unit and has been credited with improvements there. We endorse Sexton, who the Chicago Bar Association said "is highly regarded for his legal knowledge and ability."

4th Subcircuit (Shultz vacancy): Three candidates are worth noting, William Edward Gomolinski, Carmen Kathleen Aguilar and John M. Allegretti. Gomolinski was appointed a traffic court judge in 2007 and worked in private practice. Aguilar has been an assistant state's attorney her entire career and has extensive trial experience. Allegretti is the general counsel in the Cook County assessor's office and a former state's attorney. We endorse Gomolinski, who the Chicago Council of Lawyers praised "for his court management skills and for his temperament."

8th Subcircuit (Sheehan vacancy): The top three candidates are Ann Collins Dole, James A. Shapiro and Daniel Thomas Gillespie. Collins Dole, admitted to the bar in 1990, has been chief assistant corporation counsel in the torts division of the City of Chicago since 2002. Shapiro was appointed a judge in August 2007, worked in private practice and is a former assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting gun, drug, corruption and fraud cases. Gillespie was appointed an associate judge in 1988 and is well versed in civil and criminal law. We endorse Collins Dole, who the Chicago Council of Lawyers called a "model practitioner."

10th Subcircuit (Kowalski vacancy): The strongest candidates are Gerald Patrick Cleary, Ursula Walowski and James Edward Snyder. Cleary has practiced law since 1989 and has extensive civil jury experience. Walowski is an assistant state's attorney in the criminal division. Snyder was appointed a judge in 2007 and presides over bench and jury trials. We endorse Cleary, who the Chicago Bar Association said is "well regarded for his knowledge of the law, integrity and outstanding demeanor and temperament."

10th Subcircuit (Pucinski vacancy): The impressive candidates are Thomas Francis Biesty, Eileen O'Neill Burke and Kenneth L. Fletcher. Biesty is a supervisor in the criminal division of the state's attorney's office. O'Neill Burke is a former assistant state's attorney now in private practice. Fletcher was appointed a judge in January 2007 and spent most of his legal career with the Cook County Public Defender's office. We endorse Biesty, who the Chicago Bar Association said has "tried complex criminal cases and is well regarded for his fairness."

15th Subcircuit: The most impressive candidates are Anna Helen Demacopoulos and Thomas R. Mahoney, both of whom have spent their entire careers in the state's attorney's office. Demacopoulos is a supervisor in the narcotics bureau and has worked against police corruption. Mahoney is a deputy supervisor of the gang crime unit. Both are outstanding prosecutors, but we endorse Demacopoulos, who has a broader range of experience.