No county judges dumped
By Natasha Korecki, Staff Reporter, Sun-Times
Published November 03, 2004The lawyers and public interest groups could not beat the party regulars.
Voters appeared headed toward retaining all 74 judges on the ballot to the Cook County bench -- even Susan Jeanine McDunn and Dorothy F. Jones, who were both found "unqualified" by all 12 major Chicago area lawyers' groups.
Also a blow to the bar groups: In the south suburban 15th subcircuit, voters elected Jim Ryan, top aide to Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan, to a judgeship.
With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Ryan, rated unqualified by every bar group, took about61 percent of the vote over his opponent, Republican prosecutor Catherine Sanders, who hadabout 38 percent of the vote.
Ryan was poorly rated in part because of a recent grand jury investigation into beatings at the Cook County Jail that was critical of him, saying he "has no expertise in corrections."
In the west suburban 4th subcircuit, Democrat Deirdre Ann McGuire, despite having bad ratings from 11 of 12 groups, was in a close race with William Kunkle, a legendary attorney who prosecuted serial killer John Wayne Gacy and had good ratings from all of the local bar groups. With 98 percent of the precincts reporting, Kunkle held a slight lead with about 50 percent of the vote to McGuire's 49 percent.
In the Downstate race for the state Supreme Court -- the most expensive judicial race in Illinois history -- Republican Lloyd Karmeier led with 41 percent of the precincts counted. Karmeier, a Washington County circuit judge since 1986, had 57 percent of the vote, and Democrat Gordon Maag had 43 percent. Maag is an appellate court justice from Madison County.
Contributing: AP
© 2004 Digital Chicago, Inc.
