Attorney: IL Judges Choosing Re-Election over Retention Could Set Precedent for Judges Throughout the State

An attorney arguing in favor of an objection to the ballot status of three St. Clair County, IL judges who resigned to run for retention instead of re-election said that any Illinois judge would copy these three judges if they are allowed to continue their re-election effort.

“Judges up and down the state are running for retention right now,” said attorney Aaron Weisharr, representing Belleville, IL city clerk Dallas Clerk, who objects to the ballot status of Chief Judge John Baricevic and circuit judges Robert Haida and Robert LeChien. “That could drastically change if we allow these judges to choose between retention and election.”

By running for re-election, the judges simply need to pass the 50% vote threshold, rather than the 60% “yes” threshold required for retention. Cook claims the state Constitution provides partisan election for a judge’s first term and non partisan retention requiring 60 percent approval for further terms, reports the Madison-St. Clair Record.