Contact: Virginia Elliott Interim Executive Director Tel.: (847) 244-3143 Email: velliott@lakebar.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2018 LAKE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION PUBLISHES EVALUATIONS OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE CANDIDATES FOR JUDICIAL OFFICE The Lake County Bar Association (LCBA) has just completed two separate evaluation processes for the current slate of candidates for the office of Associate Judge. Judges who preside in Illinois trial courts obtain their positions in two different ways: Circuit Judges are elected by the public, and Associate Judges are appointed by the Circuit Judges. Associate Judges must be reappointed every four years. The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in Lake County currently has 15 Circuit and 25 Associate judge positions. The LCBA evaluates judicial candidates in two different ways. The first way is a member survey, in which every active attorney member of the LCBA receives a ballot by e-mail. Regarding the candidates qualifications for judicial office, members are asked to respond yes or no to questions relating to the candidates integrity, impartiality, legal abilities, temperament, and court management ability. Members are asked to evaluate only those candidates they know, and a final question asks generally whether the member believes the candidate meets the requirements for judicial office. The complete results of the member survey regarding the Associate Judge applicants are enclosed with this press release (the LCBA only releases results for those candidates rated by at least 25% of the members responding). The second way the LCBA evaluates candidates is through the Association s Judicial Selection and Retention Committee. The Committee is comprised of 16 members of the Association who are appointed for staggered three-year terms. The Committee meets when judicial positions need to be filled and vets candidates based on an extensive application and interview process. After interviewing each candidate, the Committee votes anonymously, with each member choosing one of three rankings: highly recommended, recommended, or not recommended. Candidates receive a highly recommended rating if at least 60% of the Committee s voting members select that rating. Candidates are recommended if at least 60% of the Committee s members select either recommended or highly recommended. Those candidates not receiving a 60% affirmative vote are rated as not recommended. Evaluations are valid for three years. The results of the Committee s evaluation are enclosed with this release.
The LCBA s bylaws do not provide for the Association to make endorsements regarding judicial candidates or judicial re-appointments. Opinions expressed by individual members of the Lake County Bar Association do not constitute endorsements by the Association or by any of its committees. The Lake County Bar Association is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois and has a membership of over 900 lawyer members, as well as 100 non-lawyer associate members. Among other goals, the Association s members seek to foster respect for the administration of law, to increase attorneys and the public s knowledge of law through continuing legal education, and to uphold the honor and dignity of the legal profession. For more information, visit www.lakebar.org. ### If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with David Del Re, Chair of the Judicial Selection & Retention Committee, please call Virginia Elliott at (847) 244-3143 or email velliott@lakebar.org Lake County Bar Association 300 Grand Ave STE A Waukegan, IL 60085
Evaluations of Candidates for Associate Judge May 15, 2018 Last First Middle Rating Expiration Ackley Robert O. 4/6/19 Axelrod David J. Not 1/10/21 Berman Jeffrey Alan 3/29/19 Bertucci James C. 1/10/21 Black Nandia P. 1/10/21 Blue Cecelia J. Not 5/9/21 Bruno Rhonda Kind 1/10/21 Conway Michael Joseph 1/10/21 Cornell Patricia Lynn Highly 1/10/21 Drobinski Roderick Andrew 1/11/21 Dunn Lisa L. 5/9/21 Fratianni JoAnn Marie Highly 1/11/21 Haxall III Bolling Walker Highly 3/30/19 Jeep Markham Matthew 3/30/19 Joanem John L. 5/10/21 Kennedy Christopher M. Highly 3/29/19 Koehl Ryan Patrick 3/31/19 Kuzniar Pamela Jo-Ann 3/29/19 LaRue Kenneth Warren 3/31/19 Mathews Reginald Charles 3/31/19 Naranjo Daniel 10/19/19 Neddenriep Gretchen Anne 1/11/21 Newman James Robert Maynard 3/31/19 Pascucci Danielle Mary 3/31/19 Perillo Michael J. Highly 1/12/21 Skinner Joel R. Not 10/19/19 Turk Scott Adam 1/12/21 Tyer Donald R. 1/12/21 Walker Charvis Rahsaan 1/12/21
Completed surveys 231 25% of responses (required for publication) 57.75 18-May PUBLIC Voters Knowledge Integrity Impartiality Legal Abilities Temperament Court Management Meets Requirements FOR DISTRIBUTION YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO 49% 86% ACKLEY, Robert 114 101 109 2 107 4 93 16 105 6 94 15 96 15 29% 47% AXELROD, David 66 147 46 17 38 26 40 22 32 30 46 14 30 34 Not 32% 80% BERMAN, Jeffrey 74 139 65 8 63 9 58 14 60 13 56 15 59 15 42% 50% BERTUCCI, James 98 115 76 18 68 26 53 41 45 48 59 32 48 48 26% 66% BLACK, Nandia 60 151 51 6 51 5 35 21 52 5 44 11 38 20 60% 55% BRUNO, Rhonda (Randie) 139 71 101 33 85 50 81 54 85 50 85 46 76 62 46% 58% CONWAY, Michael 107 102 92 13 85 20 49 56 77 28 63 41 62 45 58% 79% CORNELL, Patricia 133 76 120 12 114 18 104 28 107 25 112 19 105 28 Highly 47% 45% DROBINSKI, Roderick 109 100 66 40 56 51 55 52 68 37 69 36 49 60 42% 70% DUNN, Lisa 96 113 87 8 80 16 67 29 75 20 73 20 68 29 36% 68% FRATIANNI-ATSAVES, Joann 83 125 70 10 64 16 57 23 64 17 67 13 56 26 Highly
PUBLIC Voters Knowledge Integrity Impartiality Legal Abilities Temperament Court Management Meets Requirements FOR DISTRIBUTION YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO 34% 84% HAXALL, Bolling (Bodie) 78 130 70 6 62 13 69 8 69 7 70 6 65 12 Highly 35% 69% JEEP, Markham 80 128 70 8 65 13 58 19 55 22 58 18 55 25 58% 67% JOANEM, John 134 74 109 22 111 20 74 58 114 17 84 47 89 44 45% 77% KENNEDY, Christopher 103 105 84 16 79 23 81 21 84 16 84 15 78 23 Highly 31% 46% KOEHL, Ryan 72 136 60 11 41 29 32 40 50 20 40 30 33 39 28% 69% KUZNIAR, Pamela 65 143 57 7 53 11 50 15 45 19 50 14 45 20 42% 67% LaRUE, Kenneth 97 111 84 11 60 35 75 21 57 37 78 17 65 32 48% 56% MATHEWS, Reginald 112 96 81 26 69 40 61 49 76 33 79 29 62 49 48% 59% NEDDENRIEP, Gretchen 112 96 83 25 79 30 67 44 69 40 76 32 65 46 39% 73% NEWMAN, James (Jim) 89 119 78 11 63 25 75 13 71 18 75 14 65 24 42% 27% PASCUCCI, Danielle 97 111 42 54 36 60 29 68 34 62 44 53 26 71 40% 72% PERILLO, Michael 92 116 72 19 69 20 75 16 65 25 72 17 66 26 Highly 42% 65% TURK, Scott 96 112 83 12 62 34 69 27 76 19 76 19 62 34
PUBLIC Voters Knowledge Integrity Impartiality Legal Abilities Temperament Court Management Meets Requirements FOR DISTRIBUTION YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO 34% 51% TYER, Donald 79 129 62 15 52 26 42 36 56 21 47 31 40 39 40% 60% WALKER, Charvis 93 115 77 14 79 13 50 43 77 14 58 34 56 37